On Saturday October 5th ,2024, at 3:30 PM eastern time, the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Columbus Ohio to take on the 3rd ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State 4-0 comes of a dominating 38-7 victory over the Michigan State Spartans in Lansing Michigan. Iowa 3-1 won their last game at Minnesota 31-14 on September 21st.  And even though number 2 Georgia lost to number 4 Alabama last weekend. Ohio State stays as the 3rd ranked team in the country. Iowa is not ranked in the AP top 25. But they are a Big Ten opponent and should be taken seriously.

The Iowa Hawkeyes do have a 3-1 record, and their quarterback Cade McNamara has a 2024 season quarterback rating of 117.0. Also, they are coming into Columbus after a bye week. They should be healthy and rested for this game. And we have seen it happen before when upsets happen in football whether it is college or the NFL. I am confident that Ohio State will win this game. And the oddsmakers are confident in an Ohio State win as well.

As I write this article, Ohio State is a 19.5-point favorite to defeat Iowa. Many experts see this game as a final tune up for the Buckeyes. The following Saturday Ohio State travels to Eugene Oregon for a Saturday night showdown with the number 6 ranked Oregon Ducks. Which does make an upset possible for Iowa. This could be a trap game for the Buckeyes if they get caught looking beyond their opponent this week. Hopefully Ohio State head coach Ryan Day will have his team focused and ready. If not, this could be a missed opportunity to ensure the college football playoffs for Ohio State. If Ohio State truly feels that they are contenders for a national championship. They need to take care of business and take care of Iowa.