“You just look year after year, it’s similar in terms of the statistics and the production and they know what they’re recruiting there and they do a great job,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said of the Iowa defense. “So it’s a real challenge for our offense this week and we got to have a great week of practice.”
Here are five things to know about the teams before a Big Ten clash at Ohio Stadium:
1. Iowa looks stout on defense again.
Since Phil Parker took over as defensive coordinator in 2009, the Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in total defense (321.6 yards per game) and rank second in scoring defense (18.96 points per game) while ranking fourth and fifth nationally in those respective categories.
The style of defense has evolved somewhat from a 4-3 to a 4-2-5, but they still play similar up front and deploy mostly zone in the secondary, where three starters return from last season’s elite unit.
“It’ll be the best-coached defense I think that we’ll face all season long, and that’s the challenge of going against them,” Day said.
“You can go back 10 years and look at what people have tried to do to them, but I think the test over time is that they don’t give up (explosive) plays.”
2. Big plays could be at a premium.
Ohio State had 11 explosive plays* last week at Michigan State while allowing seven, numbers Day found satisfactory.
Iowa leads the nation with only four runs of 10 or more yards allowed — one more than Ohio State has given up — and Saturday’s foes are two of four teams not to allow a run over 20 yards yet this season according to CFBstats.com.
The passing game is a bit of a different story, though, as Ohio State ranks third in 20-yard passes allowed (five) while Iowa is 46th with 11.
“They make you earn everything that you get,” Day said. “There’s not going to be an easy one. So it’s a challenge that I think you get excited about if you’re a real football guy going against somebody like Coach Parker.”
3. Kaleb Johnson is the man for Iowa.
A junior who graduated from Hamilton High School, Johnson is by far the biggest weapon for Iowa.
The 6-foot, 225-pounder is third in the nation in rushing yards per game (177.3) and coming off a 206-yard performance at Minnesota two weeks ago.
“All of our backs are running well, but Kaleb certainly is running as well as anybody we’ve had in quite a while,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz told reporters in Iowa City this week. “But we’re four games into it, so we’re not ready to have a parade quite yet.”
Johnson has 12 runs of 20 yards or more while the rest of the team has two.
“They’re just doing a great job of creating seams for him, and he’s fantastic back — you know, downhill, breaks tackle,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “So I just see they’re creating formations and ways to make it hard on the defense to maintain your proper position, and then they get guys out of whack formationally, and then he’s able to crease it.”
4. The Hawkeyes were off last week.
Iowa will have the benefit of an extra week to prepare for Ohio State, which was in action at Michigan State last weekend.
Aside from the potential to be fresher for the matchup, the Hawkeyes could also benefit from extra time for Parker and new offensive coordinator Tim Lester to come up with some opponent-specific schemes for the Buckeyes.
However, Knowles contended teams frequently have something new for Ohio State they have not previously shown on film anyway, so it might not make that much difference.
“It just gives you more time to study,” Knowles said. “That’s the only way I can put it. It gives you more time to study, but in terms of what we do, you have to go off of what you have seen from them this year. And then always with a new offensive coordinator, you’ve got to go back in their history, and you’ve got to look at things that they’ve done in the past that maybe you haven’t seen yet so you’re ready for it.
“But you’ve really got to go mostly off of what you see this year.”
5. Day is still focusing on intangibles.
Day’s decision to give play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was a big offseason storyline, and so far, the two agreed the process is going well.
Without having to do as much game-planning, Day is enjoying focusing on other parts of the program throughout the week and being able to zero in on problems that might arise on game day.
“I love this team,” Day said early the week. “I love the way they play; you know?
“So every day when I wake up, I put two feet in the ground and try to do everything I can to help this team reach their dreams and goals because these kids are unbelievable.
“They’re giving everything they possibly have, and we’ve got to keep pushing them as coaches. That’s our job, and it’s their job to take the coaching and continue with the great chemistry we have and great effort.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Iowa at Ohio State, 3;30 p.m., CBS, 1410
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