Ahead of No. 5 Ohio State's Week 5 matchup in Iowa City against the No. 14 Hawkeyes, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz gave the Buckeyes' defense a shoutout.
Ferentz spotlighted Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr. for having a standout campaign so far at the strong safety/rover spot. Ferentz didn't name Little, but that's the transfer safety he's realistically referring to.
The 71-year-old also noted the loss of several top NFL draft picks, without naming them directly either. Ferentz was probably talking about Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald, and Davison Igbinosun, who were all taken within the first two rounds this past April.
"Defensively, a little bit different. They lost a handful of guys. I think three of them were in the top 11 picks in the draft. Just really outstanding players, and two more guys second-round off their defense. Some really good talent last year, and they've replaced those guys without any hesitation. They're a big, physical group. Front seven especially is really big and physical. Very aggressive in the back end. They picked up a transfer safety, and he's an impressive player, too," Ferentz said this week.
Earl Little Jr. standing out in Ohio State's secondary
Little had the strongest showing of anyone in Ohio State's secondary against Texas, with 11 tackles and a pass deflection against Arch Manning and Co.
Of course, the unit's overall issues were exposed in the second half of that unfathomable 24-23 defeat at DKR Stadium in Week 2 as Manning led the comeback.
Those issues were exacerbated in Week 4 against Illinois, which had 263 passing yards and 462 total yards.
Still, besides a pre-snap motion sequence he bit too hard on, which led to a 22-yard Jordan Anderson rushing touchdown, Little was a highlight against the Fighting Illini, too.
With a balanced run and passing snap distribution from Tim Lester's play-calling, Little will be asked to wear many different hats against the Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon on CBS.
Ohio State's defense will face a boom-or-bust Hank Brown in Iowa
OSU's secondary will get an intriguing challenge this weekend against Hank Brown. The former Auburn quarterback hasn't gotten a true chance until this season, and he's yet to be exposed in black and gold.
Brown has yet to throw an interception through four games and engineered the game-winning drive against TTUN this past week.
Brown has looked nothing like the guy who threw three interceptions in one half against Arkansas back in 2024.
Ipso facto, Iowa is having its best start since October 2021, when the Hawkeyes were ranked as high as No. 2.
Could the Buckeyes be where it all comes crashing down for Brown?
Thus far, Ohio State's pass rush hasn't been as disruptive as it should be, and Iowa's offensive line is elite in pass protection. The run is where the Hawkeyes' protection is vulnerable.
We'll see how the Buckeyes' defense holds up against trenches that could enable Brown to have another efficient game.
Likewise, we'll see how Brown handles the athletes in Ohio State's secondary during the biggest game Kinnick Stadium has hosted in 20 years, since the last time College GameDay watched the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes do battle.
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