That said, Ohio State coach Ryan Day says his team will be better for going through the experience — if the No. 5 Buckeyes are able to leave Kinnick Stadium with a win over No. 14 Iowa on Saturday.
asserted
Buckeyes → say → Saturday
“This is a big opportunity for our team, I think, to go into a tough road environment against a very good team and go get a win,” Day said.
asserted
Day → think → win
“That certainly would build a lot of momentum for our season as we move forward.
asserted
we → build → season
Ohio State (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will make its first trip to Iowa City since 2017.
asserted
State → make → 2017
The Hawkeyes won in a blowout that day and eliminated the then-No. 3 Buckeyes from College Football Playoff contention.
asserted
Hawkeyes → win → contention
The Buckeyes won the last two meetings by a combined 89-17 at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
asserted
Buckeyes → win → Columbus
Kinnick is a tough environment for visiting teams because the crowd is raucous, fans are in close proximity because the benches are close to the stands and noise is held in because of the steep vertical rise.
asserted
noise → visit → rise
“Have we talked about teams that have gone into Kinnick Stadium and had a hard time and been in absolute dogfights and they play really good at home?
asserted
they → talk → home
Yeah, that’s a huge message,” Day said.
asserted
Day → ’ → ?
“But that’s been a message for a long time when we got this schedule.
asserted
we → get → schedule
Going on the road this year, we knew this would be part of it, some of the toughest stadiums in the country, and this is one of them.
asserted
this → go → them
On top of the surroundings, there’s the way Iowa plays.
asserted
Iowa → ’ → surroundings
The Hawkeyes have a knack for knocking opponents out of rhythm, capitalizing on their mistakes and forcing them into their style of game, which usually is low scoring and rarely pretty.
asserted
which → have → game
A few years ago, fans wore T-shirts reading “Punting Is Winning.”
asserted
Punting → wear → shirts
Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz was reminded this week his team’s name has become part of college football parlance.
asserted
name → remind → parlance
An opponent that loses despite holding an advantage in most statistical categories is said to have gotten “Iowa’d.”
asserted
that → lose → Iowa’d
Ferentz takes it in stride.
asserted
Ferentz → take → stride
He and his staff develop mostly three-star recruits to be able to consistently win eight, nine and sometimes 10 games a year.
asserted
He → develop → games
Ohio State brings in bunches of five-stars and chases national championships.
asserted
State → bring → championships
“We’re all in different situations, especially in college football,” he said.
asserted
he → ’re → football
“It’s not the NFL.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
So I think you figure out where you’re at and what you can do and what’s realistic and then go from there.
asserted
what → think → what
But I talked to our players about that Sunday.
asserted
I → talk → that
We’re not in the entertainment business; we’re trying to win.”
Big House hangover?
Ferentz isn’t worried about his team letting down emotionally after its 20-19 win at Michigan last week.
asserted
team → ’re → Michigan
Hank Brown’s winning touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee came on the final play.
asserted
pass → win → play
“I didn’t have to give a talk about trap game because just look who we’re playing,” he said.
asserted
he → have → who
“That kind of took care of that.
asserted
That → take → that
That made it easy.”
asserted
it → make → ?
Day acknowledged he enjoyed watching the way the Hawkeyes took down Ohio State’s archrival.
asserted
Hawkeyes → acknowledge → archrival
“I thought it was very typical of an Iowa win, where they’re very comfortable late in the game like that, punting and playing field postiion and getting the ball back,” he said.
asserted
he → think → ball
“You have got to give them a lot of credit to go down the field in a two-minute drill.”
asserted
You → get → drill
Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s biggest challenge will be to come up with a plan to keep star receiver Jeremiah Smith under control.
asserted
challenge → come → control
Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards, both career highs, and tied the Ohio State record with four touchdowns last week in the Buckeyes’ 42-19 victory over Illinois.
asserted
Smith → catch → Illinois
“No. 4, we saw him a couple years ago as a freshman, awfully impressive then, and now he’s two years older and more experienced,” Ferentz said.
asserted
Ferentz → see → freshman
“Probably, I’m guessing, would be in the argument for maybe the top player in the country.
asserted
I → guess → country
If he’s not, he’s certainly in the top handful.”
asserted
he → ’ → handful
Apollo Payne, a 6-foot-3, 214-pound second-year receiver, played the role of the 6-4, 222-pound Smith on the scout team at practice this week.
asserted
Payne → play → practice
“He’s doing a great job, but it’s still not the same,” Ferentz said.
asserted
Ferentz → do → job
“We’d have to get him platform shoes.
asserted
We → have → shoes
I don’t know if they still make those.
asserted
they → know → those
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
