Game Thread tOSU at Iowa, Sat Nov 20, 3:30 ET, ABC/ESPN

[southcampus]

I like Iowa's team a lot. I feel that they play up to their competition or down to their competition, which is a reason why it seems they are always in close games. I think our chances of leaving Iowa with a win are 50 50. We've got to get better this week. We're going up against top notch receivers and a very good QB. They will test us all afternoon and we had better be ready.

 

[Nicknam4]

I don't think Iowa can be beat in the 2nd half alone like Penn State, Bucks need to show up in the first half as well. If this happens...we'll witness a team win six straight Big Ten titles.

 

[MightbeaBuck]

I think our chances of leaving Iowa with a win are 50 50.

Huh?

Perhaps you haven't seen the Buckeyes play yet this year. A win? I think our chances of leaving Iowa while more than covering the spread are 50 50. :tongue2:

 

[Buckeye86]

My preview from thebuckeyebattlecry.com.

link

The Buckeyes roll into Iowa City this weekend riding a wave of momentum after thoroughly dominating Penn State in the second half. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, return home riding a wave of? something else, after a close loss on the road to Northwestern.

Will the Buckeyes continue the domination they unleashed in the second half against Penn State? Will they come out flat like they did in the first half? Will Iowa be fired up and ready to go on senior day? Will they be deflated after dropping out of the conference race and giving up 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter?

Understanding what makes a team tick is difficult regardless of the circumstances surrounding a game, but the match up between the Buckeyes and the Hawkeyes takes the difficulty of figuring out team moral to new heights.

As an Ohio State fan, you obviously hope that the team can pick up right where they left off and run wild (literally and figuratively speaking) on Saturday. At the same time, the Buckeyes have not performed well in two of three away games this season. A talented Hawkeye squad with nothing to lose could give Ohio State everything they can handle.

continued...

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztA3AuSGAzQ"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 1[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14gRaceiDzw"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 2[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGMfcjbYiME"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 3[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8a4Q6IbTk8"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 4[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0lX7LMAhdk"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 5[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f0-tINZ7D8"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 6[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1M6rVSZFpY"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Kirk Ferentz Part 7[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiqd4mf1u50"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- DL Christian Ballard[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pte9byMalc"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- RB Adam Robinson[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h0bq70K1PQ"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Iowa G Julian Vandervelde[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvil-CInASg"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Iowa SS Tyler Sash[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DJehg4c4Ks"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Iowa DT Karl Klug[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQkutF0JKRg"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- FS Brett Greenwood[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d0TvqFPFzw"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- LB Jeff Tarpinian[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz2HSjOnohw"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- DE Adrian Clayborn[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnigL-F8lKs"]YouTube - Ohio State pregame -- Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaQjlC_zpIc"]YouTube - Ricky Stanzi, Part II, 11/16/10[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ormwf_M2Q"]YouTube - Video Preview - Ohio State[/ame]

 

[Onebuckfan]

If both teams play well tOSU wins..so therefore Iowa cannot beat tOSU we can only lose by playing poorly..

 

[southcampus]

Huh?

Perhaps you haven't seen the Buckeyes play yet this year. A win? I think our chances of leaving Iowa while more than covering the spread are 50 50. :tongue2:

Yes, a win. What were you expecting? I know my view on this game is an unpopular one but I've long looked at this game as our 1st or 2nd toughest one of the year.

This is Iowa's senior night, and it will be virtually a night game. We will get there best effort and then some. And yes, I have seen the Bucks play. Every single play, at least once, most games twice or more. I also know that Iowa is a pretty damn good team. Streaky? Yes, but I've seen them play like a top 5 team at times this year.
We haven't been good on the road. I'll be happy with any win, but it's gonna be a dog fight. People expecting Iowa to just roll over because they are out of the B10 race are completely wrong.
I'm concerned about their passing attack. If we can force them to run, we will be in good shape defensively.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

...This is Iowa's senior night, ...

...an oft overlooked point.

If the roles were reversed, and Adrian Clayborn were one of ours, how many BPers would be saying "There is NO WAY that AC will let this team lose his last game in [strike]Kinnick[/strike]The Shoe!!!1!!" How many would be absolutely certain that "...[strike]Ferentz[/strike]Tressel will have this team fired up; no way they lose on Senior Day".

Iowa may not be playing for the same stakes as the Buckeyes, and yes, the Buckeyes have won 11 of the last 12 against the Hawkeyes.

But...

Our tackles have had off-nights against dominant Defensive Ends. TP has been susceptible to pressure from time to time. If either tackle and/or TP have that kind of afternoon/evening; or if Adrian Clayborn plays like a man possessed, this game could get very dicey.

 

[Buckeye86]

If the roles were reversed, and Adrian Clayborn were one of ours, how many BPers would be saying "There is NO WAY that AC will let this team lose his last game in [strike]Kinnick[/strike]The Shoe!!!1!!" How many would be absolutely certain that "...[strike]Ferentz[/strike]Tressel will have this team fired up; no way they lose on Senior Day".

yes, but Tressel has also never gone through a late season collapse like Ferentz did in 2006

Iowa has laid an egg two weeks in a row, has Ferentz ever proven that he can rally a team for a big win after some let downs?

after they lost to Ohio State last year they squeaked past Minnesota 12-0

they lost a heart breaker to Pitt in 2008 and proceeded to lose their next two games against Northwestern and Michigan State

they lost a heart breaker to Iowa State in 2007 and proceeded to lose their next three games, including a loss against Indiana

in 2006 they lost to Ohio State and proceeded to lose six of their next eight games, including four in a row to end the year, a streak which included losses to Northwestern and Minnesota

in 2005 they lost a heart breaker to Michigan and proceeded to lose to Northwestern the next week

so while their fans very well may be saying that, is there any truth behind it?

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

yes, but Tressel has also never gone through a late season collapse like Ferentz did in 2006

Iowa has laid an egg two weeks in a row, has Ferentz ever proven that he can rally a team for a big win after some let downs?

after they lost to Ohio State last year they squeaked past Minnesota 12-0

they lost a heart breaker to Pitt in 2008 and proceeded to lose their next two games against Northwestern and Michigan State

they lost a heart breaker to Iowa State in 2007 and proceeded to lose their next three games, including a loss against Indiana

in 2006 they lost to Ohio State and proceeded to lose six of their next eight games, including four in a row to end the year, a streak which included losses to Northwestern and Minnesota

in 2005 they lost a heart breaker to Michigan and proceeded to lose to Northwestern the next week

so while their fans very well may be saying that, is there any truth behind it?

Probably not...

Just like there's no validity to the way our optimistic fans are talking now... I should know, I'm usually one of them.

We just had a big 2nd half comeback:

• just like we did against FredOU, at home, in 2008; right before we laid an egg at USC the next week
• just like we did when Beanie put the team on his back against Wisconsin in 2007; right before we laid an egg against Illinois the next week
• just like we did against MSU, at home, in 2004; right before we laid an egg in West Lafayette the next week.

There's plenty of history on BOTH sides to point to. None of it matters as much as the match-up IMHO. Some of the match-up favors Iowa, like what I already mentioned. Some of the match-up favors Ohio State (see Behind the Numbers in the upcoming preview for details).

 

[Buckeye86]

• just like we did against FredOU, at home, in 2008; right before we laid an egg at USC the next week
• just like we did when Beanie put the team on his back against Wisconsin in 2007; right before we laid an egg against Illinois the next week
• just like we did against MSU, at home, in 2004; right before we laid an egg in West Lafayette the next week.

I don't think your first example is applicable. Our second half "come back" against OU was fueled by a punt return (if I am not mistaken) and the offense was far from impressive or dominant like we saw last week against Penn State.

Also, the egg we laid the next week against USC was minus our entire offensive game plan Beanie Wells, something that we won't be dealing with this time around.

I will give you 2007.

As far as 2004, I don't think what the second worst team of the decade did has any impact or sets any precedence for this game.

I see your point, but Ohio State's let down games have been few and far between with most being under extenuating circumstances while Iowa's have been consistent every single year.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that this is the reason Ohio State is going to win or even that I am confident because of it. My only point is that the "Iowa is going to be fired up and ready to go because they lost last week" line of thought probably isn't as valid as you would at first think.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

... My only point is that the "Iowa is going to be fired up and ready to go because they lost last week" line of thought probably isn't as valid as you would at first think.

And since that was never my point I don't believe we actually disagree.

My point is that we cannot count on motivation to be a determining factor.

If we can exploit the weakness of their defensive scheme the way we have in the past, we'll win. But that depends largely on Pryor becoming something that he has not consistently been to this point.

If Iowa can get consistent pressure on Pryor with their front 4, there could be trouble. That is a distinct possibility.

My prediction for the preview was a 9 point Buckeye win. But I would not be at all surprised by a no-show by either team, or for that matter by a barn-burner epic battle of two teams playing their best game of the year.

 

[Buckeye86]

If we can exploit the weakness of their defensive scheme the way we have in the past, we'll win.

aka trying to cover slot receivers with linebackers

yeah, I hope Pryor can hit Sanzenbacher all day across the middle (see: Anthony Gonzalez 2006), but given how uncomfortable Pryor looked last week and the fact that he didn't target Sanzenbacher once, that is definitely something that I am concerned about as well

 

[Gollum22]

I've heard and read numerous times that TP never threw to Sanzenbacher once during the PSU game. However, I think that if you go back and look at the tape of the game, Sanz was the intended receiver on the interception at the goal line. Not that it matters much; just want to point out what appears to have been missed. I could be wrong ......