For most of this season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have looked like one of the best teams in the country. The only time they didn't was in the fourth quarter of the Week 2 game against Texas. Losing the 20-point lead to the Longhorns put a damper on the team's expectations for a little while.
Since that loss, it seems like the entire Ohio State football program has made adjustments. Since that loss, they have been a dominant team. They are blowing teams out and creating a lot of explosive passing plays. Nick Saban believes that's one of the reasons why they should be a favorite to win the title.
Nick Saban thinks Ohio State is playing scary football
While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Saban detailed why he thinks Iowa is going to struggle to contain the Buckeyes in Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. He thinks Iowa is going to have issues stopping explosive plays through the air.
"I think Ohio State is one of the most complete teams in the country. I know they got tired in the fourth quarter, and Texas came back to beat them. But I still think offense, defense, special teams, roster- they are one of the best teams in the country. I think it's going to be very difficult for Iowa to defend explosive plays."
Saban thinks that the Buckeyes have a complete roster, despite some of the flaws we have seen thus far. Even with Ohio State giving up a ton of yards on the ground against Illinois last week, Saban thinks that they have a completeness to them that other teams don't.
Perhaps that's more of an indictment on the rest of the teams in the country. It feels like almost every team has a fatal flaw to them. Ohio State is trying to fix theirs, and Jeremiah Smith might be able to help them bypass it singlehandedly. Saban clearly thinks he can help them do that.
A Buckeye win on Saturday afternoon would give them a ton of confidence
If Ohio State can beat the Hawkeyes in Kinnick on Saturday afternoon, that would give them a lot of confidence heading into the rest of their schedule. With the loss to Texas, the Buckeyes only have room for one more loss to guarantee themselves a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Four of the next five games feature a ranked opponent for the Scarlet and Gray. This week will give them a good barometer of whether or not they are truly ready for the brutal schedule they have ahead of them. Losing three games still might get them in the CFP,
Smith is the best player in the country. If Saban doesn't think that the best defense in the country can slow him down, then no one will be able to. While we are still waiting on another receiver to emerge, Smith will continue to show why he's the best receiver in Ohio State history.
Winning this game is an important step on Ohio State's journey to the College Football Playoff. A loss would be a massive blow to their chances.
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