Ryan Day Enjoyed Iowa’s Last-Second Win Over Michigan Just Like the Rest of Buckeye Nation: “That Was Really Impressive”
By
Chase Brown on September 29, 2026 at 1:49 pm
@chaseabrown__
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ryan Day seldom takes his coaching hat off to watch college football on Saturdays, but when he does, he appreciates a Michigan loss like the rest of us — even if he’d rather focus on the Hawkeyes’ victory than the Wolverines’ defeat.
When asked Tuesday if he was able to watch
Iowa's last-second win over Michigan and enjoy the “end of a wild game” in college football, Day smiled.
“I did with that one,” he said.
With Ohio State’s road trip to Iowa looming this weekend, the eighth-year head coach quickly moved past the quip and explained what stood out to him about the Hawkeyes’ win.
“I thought it was very typical of an Iowa win, where they’re very comfortable late in the game like that, punting and playing field position and getting the ball back, but you got to give them a lot of credit to go down the field in a two-minute drill. That was very impressive,” he said.
Day learned plenty about Kirk Ferentz’s team from that win, and he’ll make sure his players understand the challenge that awaits them at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.
“This is a tough-minded group of players and coaches that, you got to give them a lot of credit, going on the road and winning like that,” Day said. “They’re playing well, and they’re gonna have a lot of confidence going into this game, especially coming off of that win.”
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was also asked Tuesday about Iowa’s comeback win. The Ohio State defensive end focused on what the Wolverines failed to do against the Hawkeyes: play for all 60 minutes.
“Team Up North, they had the game. They did a pretty good job with the run game. I just don’t know exactly what happened in that game,” Jackson said. “But Iowa, they came back, they fought to come back, and they won the game. So with us on Saturday, we just got to play 60 minutes of football. Whether that’s winning, losing or tied up, we just got to play 60 minutes of football.”
Ohio State and Iowa will meet as the
No. 5 and No. 14 teams in the AP Poll, respectively. The Buckeyes are
currently two-touchdown favorites over the Hawkeyes, with the over/under set at 45.5 points for Saturday’s showdown at Kinnick Stadium.
