Heading into this weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes are hoping to establish that they are truly one of the best teams in the country. Their 20-point collapse in the fourth quarter against Texas was disappointing, to say the least. After that loss, the Buckeyes have been ranked as low as seventh in the polls.
However, Ohio State is coming off a blowout victory over Illinois. They are now up to fifth in the polls, and they will be taking on undefeated Iowa in Kinnick Stadium. We give you some bold predictions ahead of that game, including how well Jeremiah Smith will play.
1. Jeremiah Smith breaks the all-time Ohio State receiving TD record in the first half
Last weekend against the Illini, Jeremiah Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns. It was by far the best performance of his career. He comes into this matchup with Iowa just one touchdown catch behind Chris Olave for the all-time lead in touchdown catches in Ohio State football history.
Iowa has the best scoring defense in the nation, as they allow just eight points per game. Even with that being the case, no one has been able to find a way to stop Smith. Even Texas struggled with him in the first half of that game. He's the best player in college football.
With that being the case, he will break Olave's record in the first half of this game. That means he will record at least two touchdown catches, which would be a great way to start this game. That looks to be easier now that Iowa has ruled out a couple of defensive backs.
2. Julian Sayin throws for 3+ touchdown passes
If we have learned nothing through the first four weeks of this season, it's that Ohio State loves to throw the ball. They have struggled to run the ball all year long, so Julian Sayin has had to sling it all over the field. So far, he's done a very good job of that, as he averages over 300 yards per game through the air.
Thus far, Sayin has 10 touchdown passes to just one interception. He is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the country. With that being the case, he will have at least three touchdown passes in this game. It's the only way that Ohio State can reliably score points.
3. Ohio State forces two turnovers
Defensively, Ohio State has some issues. They just allowed 199 yards on the ground to Illinois, and they struggle to sack the quarterback. That's not a great combination heading into a game against a ball-control team like the Hawkeyes. They also have not forced many turnovers.
Ohio State has only forced six turnovers this season. That is a big tie for 35th in the country with several other teams. However, I believe that the Buckeyes will force two turnovers in this game. I could see Iowa trying to make a comeback at the end and throwing a bad interception to add to that total.
If all of these things happen, there's no reason why the Buckeyes shouldn't walk out of Iowa City with a victory.
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