Land-Grant’s experts make Ohio State-Iowa predictions

Being the Buckeye beat’s black sheep blog, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to pat ourselves on the back. So, throughout the season, members of our staff will be making predictions about that day’s game. They will go on the record with what they think the final score will be, who the game’s MVP will be, and what the major storyline will be coming out of the day.

This afternoon, the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes will head to Kinnick Stadium to take on the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes. The two teams will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET in a game airing on CBS.

Ohio State enters its first conference road game of the season as a 14.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel. The book projects the total points line at 45.5. If you think you are better at prognosticating than our experts, maybe go and put your money where your mouth is.

Check out what our staff members think and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below. As we move forward with the season, you will be able to keep up with just how well our prognosticators do on a weekly basis HERE.

Michael Citro

Score Prediction: Ohio State 27, Iowa 24
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will bring Ohio State back in the fourth quarter with a game-winning touchdown drive. He’ll throw for about 275 yards and two touchdowns.
Major Storyline: Ohio State’s run defense continues to be an issue. Iowa will run for over 200 yards and a couple of touchdowns and provide the Hawkeyes with a slim fourth-quarter lead.

Alex Frank

Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Iowa 21
Game MVP: I’m going co-MVPs with Bo and Ja’kobi Jackson. Ohio State needs to run the ball in this game, one that will be a true physical battle. Against Illinois, Bo and Ja’kobi were both effective running the ball, and the Buckeyes can do it again with two backs leading the way.
Major Storyline: Ohio State struggled with Texas’ physicality in Week 2. Coming out of this game, it will be evident that they got tougher against Power Four teams. After beating Iowa, we will be talking about how the Buckeyes can run the ball to set up big plays in the passing game. Another major topic will be Ohio State’s defensive line, regardless of how they fare against Iowa’s running game.

Justin Golba

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Iowa 10
Game MVP: I think the game’s MVP will be Kenyatta Jackson Jr., as I predict he will go for two sacks and a forced fumble in the contest.
Major Storyline: It might be hard to gauge this since Iowa still does not have an elite offense, but the defense will hold the Iowa running game in check after letting Illinois run all over them. Iowa does still have a good rushing attack, and the Buckeyes will shut it down for the most part.

Jami Jurich

Score Prediction: Ohio State 28, Iowa 13
Game MVP: Coming off his four-touchdown game against Illinois, Jeremiah Smith adds two more touchdowns and breaks both Chris Olave’s school record for career touchdowns and Emeka Egbuka’s record for career receptions in the same game.
Major Storyline: The Iowa defense has the No. 19 rushing defense and No. 1 scoring defense in the country right now, so whether Ohio State wins or not, this game will establish with some degree of certainty whether OSU’s rush attack can hang at the national championship level or not.

Connor Lemons

Score Prediction: Ohio State 24, Iowa 9
Game MVP: Bo Jackson’s rushing totals have dropped every game this year. I think he bounces back in a big way against the Hawkeyes, running for 100+ and scoring the decisive second-half touchdown that will more or less seal the game for Ohio State.
Major Storyline: This will be the best the defense has looked so far this season against power-conference opponents. Fans should feel better after watching Ohio State hold the Hawkeyes to single-digit points and really grind out a physical road game.

Brett Ludwiczak

Score Prediction: Ohio State 38, Iowa 17
Game MVP: After failing to meet the moment in the second half against Texas, Julian Sayin leads the Buckeyes to an important win over a tough Iowa defense.
Major Storyline: The Buckeyes exorcise the demons from the last time they were at Kinnick and don’t leave much doubt as they replicate the score from their 2006 triumph. The defense tightens up after last week’s ugly performance and builds some momentum for clashes later in the month against Indiana and USC.

Gene Ross

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Iowa 15
Game MVP: Safety Jaylen McClain comes away with a pick-six early in the first half to set the tone for the rest of the game.
Major Storyline: Ohio State FINALLY starts to let its young linemen (Wilder, Perez, Sitanilei) play more snaps, and the front seven looks much improved as a result, with Riley Pettijohn and T.J. Alford also seeing the bulk of the reps at linebacker.

Matt Tamanini

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Iowa 13
Game MVP: Bryce Underwood — yes, that Bryce Underwood — threw for a career-best 276 yards against this Hawkeye defense last week. While I don’t expect Phil Parker to throw the same looks at Julian Sayin as he did to Michigan’s quarterback, I do think that there will be yards to be had through the air this afternoon. I expect the Iowa defense to protect against anything deep, so look for Jeremiah Smith, Devin McQuin, Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, Nate Roberts, and Bo Jackson out of the backfield to wear down the middle of the Hawkeye defense. I think Julian Sayin will finish the game with 315 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air, with another on the ground.
Major Storyline: I like Iowa, I respect the hell out of Kirk Ferentz and Phil Parker, but the 4-0, No. 14 Hawkeyes are a bit of a paper tiger — they’ve looked mighty pedestrian against their two Power 4 opponents this season. Nonetheless, limiting the Hawkeyes’ ground attack to under 100 yards, while putting up 400 yards of total offense, will be a strong statement that, while this Buckeye team is neither perfect nor a finished product, they are one of the best teams in the country, and only getting better.

Cole VanWiechen

Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Iowa 14
Game MVP: After his four-touchdown, 217-yard performance against Illinois, Jeremiah Smith will continue his dominant start to the season with another big game. I’ll go with seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns for him in Kinnick.
Major Storyline: While it is still unclear if he will play today, I am starting to think that Jay Timmons is the best player on Ohio State’s defense. Timmons has been one of the Buckeyes’ most disruptive players early this season, and if he gets on the field at Kinnick Stadium, this is another opportunity for him to make his case against an Iowa offense that will test the Buckeyes’ defensive front. In my opinion, if Timmons has another impact performance in Iowa City, I think he should be in conversations as one of, if not the best player on this defense.