Ohio State Crushes Iowa and Sends a Warning to Indiana

Ohio State's football team beat Iowa in a big road game on Saturday, and the win meant much more than just moving to a better record. The Buckeyes played with focus and power, showing that they are one of the best teams in the country. Coach Ryan Day said his team played physical and built momentum heading into the tougher part of the season.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had a standout game, scoring two touchdowns. His second score came late in the second quarter and gave Ohio State a lead it would never give back. The Buckeyes held the ball for the last ten minutes, slowly draining the clock and taking the energy from the Iowa crowd.

Ohio State is known for beating teams it is supposed to beat by a wide margin. When the Buckeyes are a heavy favorite, they rarely let the other team hang around. Saturday's game followed that exact pattern — Ohio State took control early and never let Iowa feel comfortable.

The biggest reason this win matters is what comes next: a trip to Bloomington, Indiana, on October 17. Indiana is the defending national champion and has won 33 of its last 35 games under coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers have played an easy schedule so far, but facing Ohio State will be a very different kind of challenge.

Ohio State and Indiana have a fierce recent rivalry. In 2024, Ohio State beat Indiana badly in a game that put the Hoosiers on notice. But Indiana flipped the script in 2025, beating the Buckeyes 13–10 in the Big Ten championship game — a game Ohio State had many chances to win but could not close out.

Ohio State never got another shot at Indiana in the College Football Playoff, losing to Miami in the quarterfinals. Now, nearly a year later, the Buckeyes are ready for their rematch. They want to go into Indiana's loud stadium, silence the home crowd, and prove they are the better team.