This is the big one. There might be more important games later in the season against conference rivals Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska, but no team on Iowa’s schedule is more talented than this Buckeyes squad. To be fair, you can say the same for pretty much any team preparing for a dance with Ohio State this year.
For the Hawkeyes, this is easily their toughest stretch of the season. While they shouldn’t overlook Rutgers, the schedule really ramps up midway through with appearances from the Big Ten’s elite.
A three-week stretch that includes Michigan in an emotionally Big Ten championship game rematch, and a trip to Ohio State would be noteworthy for any team in the country. The Hawkeyes also have to worry about pesky Illinois sandwiched between those two behemoths as well. We will all know after this gauntlet just how much of a contender Iowa plans on being in 2022.
Rose Bowl champions in 2021, Ohio State returns a ton of talent, including possibly the best player in the nation at a few positions. It is national championship or bust for Ryan Day’s squad. They might not be in the same recruiting neighborhood or have the same national attention, but Iowa will be an extremely tough test for the Buckeyes with their strong defense.
Iowa isn’t the only team with something to prove this year. Ohio State once again looks to have a national championship-winning offense on paper, but don’t forget they lost some talent. Wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were both 2022 NFL draft first-round picks and tight end Jeremey Ruckert was a third-rounder. The Buckeyes also lost two talented offensive linemen to the NFL in Nicholas Petit-Frere and Thayer Munford. Here are the names to watch for a bit of a new-look Buckeyes.