Iowa does not play in many night games. In fact the last game that actually started in the dark in Iowa was back in 1992 against Miami.
There have been a few games that started late in the day and then the sun went down around halftime. And let me tell you, the energy level sky rockets after dark. I cannot even imagine how crazy it will be for this Ohio State game.
If Iowa can manage to win the game, the only game they probably won’t be favored to win would be the game at Michigan. If Iowa manages to win, they will be back in the top 10 and there will probably be 3 Big 10 teams in the top 10 of the next polls.
Ohio State is a 7 point favorite on the road, so this is no easy game for Iowa.
The way I see it, for Iowa to have a chance they must do the following:
- Keep Ginn in front of them. If he ends up behind them, there is nobody that is going to catch him. One of Iowa’s defensive strengths is preventing big plays, so this should be doable if everybody stays focused.
- Keep Smith from running up the middle. The last couple games, Iowa has had some trouble giving up yards to quarterbacks sneaking through the middle of the line. Smith is a much better runner than the last two quarterbacks, so some linebacker will have to keep him honest.
- Not turnover the ball. Tate threw a stupid interception last week. He cannot afford any stupid plays this week.
- Find some way to run the ball. The running game does not need to dominate, but it does need to eat up some clock and it does need to draw the linebackers toward the line of scrimmage to free the receivers and tight ends over the middle.
- Not give up a quick score. The crowd will be drunk and insane when this game starts. If Ohio State gets a big play or a big drive right away, a lot of that crowd momentum could diminish. If Iowa gets the first touchdown or big play, that could put even more crowd pressure on Ohio State. There’s something about the shape of the stadium and the lungs of the fans, but Iowa is a loud stadium.
- Not drop passes. With as many young receivers as Iowa is using, these guys need tot hold onto the ball. Dropped balls kill drives. Tipped balls lead to interceptions and touchdowns. The receivers need to get that ball. And if the defender has the better position, they need to tackle him before he picks off the pass and take the penalty. They had trouble doing that in the Syracuse game.
Easy, right?
Come back later this week when I make my predictions for this weeks Big 10 games.