It looked like a game for a while, but Ohio State buttoned down and ran away with a 54-10 victory over Iowa on Saturday afternoon. The victory allowed the Buckeyes to remain undefeated (7-0) and in the conversation for some really big things.
As with every game, we reflect on what we saw and try to pull out five things that we feel are the most important takeaways from the action we saw — so why stop now?
It was a bit of a weird, clunky game at first, but that’s kind of what you expect when you play this Iowa program. Here are five things we think we learned about this Buckeye squad after yet another impressive performance.
Winning ugly?
The Ohio State offense has not looked like it usually does today.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 22, 2022
This wasn’t exactly a beauty pageant for the Ohio State offense. Iowa made quarterback C.J. Stroud and his weapons work for everything in the first half. Yet, Buckeyes went into halftime up, 26-10, and in command.
And that’s the point. Ohio State smoked and sputtered and still ended up winning very, very easily. This team is built to win in multiple ways even when there are some struggles because of what the opposition is doing.
Defense is the difference for Ohio State this year
Secretary of Defense @CoachJimKnowles pic.twitter.com/wNe9uUVcza
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 22, 2022
There are much bigger fish to fry, and it’s hardly a watermark point to do well against this Iowa offense, but through seven games, this Ohio State defense continues to look better and better. Joel Klatt — who we love by the way — kept gushing about the Hawkeye defense in this one, but it was the OSU defense that was setting the tone with three turnovers, a touchdown and several three-and-outs forced in the first half.
That continued in the second half until the front line sat and watched Iowa start to gain yards, but that’s not the point. Last year it was offense or bust. This season Ohio State has a championship-caliber defense.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba might not be right all season
Jaxon Smith-Njigba comes up limping a bit after a C.J. Stroud deep ball in his direction and checks out of the game. Still standing on the sideline though and appears to be OK.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) October 22, 2022
The fact Ohio State is putting up these types of scores each game without its best wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, says a great deal about the depth of the wide receiver corps.
And the team might have to do without him being fully healthy all year.
Hamstring injuries take a long time to get over and we’re seeing that. Smith-Njigba has been in and out of the lineup and often shut down. I’m optimistic he’ll be 100% soon, but, at this point of the season, there’s a good chance he may not be.
Ohio State can't abandon the running game
Its the 2nd quarter and Ohio State has 1 point short of Michigans total of 27 vs Iowa.
And the Buckeyes offense is struggling.
— Brutus Wayne™ (@BuckeyeBat) October 22, 2022
There are times when I feel like Ryan Day gives up on the running game. It makes sense sometimes because of the quarterback and receivers the team has, but there are times when running the ball is the recipe for success.
Day has gone away from it too early at times, and you feel like that happened in the first half. At one point Ohio State gained six yards on first down and proceeded to pass twice — both incompletions — and had to settle for a field goal.
Stick with it a little more to open things up because OSU will need that running game.
Zach Harrison showed what he can be
Zach HARRISON IS A HOUND.
Sack + Forced Fumble = Ohio State 🏈 pic.twitter.com/hqZ5OHl8ln
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 22, 2022
Zach Harison had a game today, especially in the first half when he had a sack, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a batted-down pass on third down. He showed the explosiveness we’ve all been waiting to see more consistently from the former five-star prospect.
I don’t know why, but Harrison looked more explosive coming off the edge and closing in on the quarterback, and Ohio State sure could use him to be at that level going forward. Now, it might have had something to do with the Iowa offensive line, but, hopefully, we see that same production and effort going forward.
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