Ohio State travels to Kinnick Stadium for its first Big Ten road game of the season and its first visit to Iowa City since the disastrous 55–24 loss in 2017.

The undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes lead the nation in scoring defense, excel on special teams and are coming off a dramatic last-second victory at Michigan. Ohio State has more talent, but defeating Iowa will require patience, discipline and a much better defensive performance than the Buckeyes delivered against Illinois.

Joe breaks down five keys to an Ohio State victory and explains exactly what he needs to see from the Buckeyes on Saturday:

• Protect the football
• Remain patient without becoming passive
• Establish a functional running game
• Fix the defensive gap and tackling problems
• Win the field-position and special-teams battle

We also discuss Julian Sayin's second major road test, Jeremiah Smith against Phil Parker's defense, Iowa quarterback Hank Brown, Jay Timmons' uncertain status and whether Ohio State's defensive ends can finally generate consistent production.

Can the Buckeyes handle the Kinnick Stadium environment and earn their first ranked victory of the season?

Friday, October 2, 2026

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