No. 3 Ohio State used a monster second half from receiver Jeremiah Smith to pull away for a 35-7 victory against Iowa. On the first drive of the second half, Smith reeled in a 53-yard reception in the red zone to set up a one-on-one end zone fade, part of his 89-yard performance against Iowa's elite defense.
The Buckeyes took advantage of Iowa in every aspect, clearing 180 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in a balanced effort. Smith and Egbuka each reached 70 yards through the air, while rushers TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins hit 60 yards on the ground.
Iowa's revamped offense showed some flashes, but ultimately struggled with consistency. Quarterback Cade McNamara mustered only 98 yards passing as receivers failed to gain any separation from Buckeyes defenders. The only scoring drive came on a breakaway run from running back Kaleb Johnson after backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan entered the game. McNamara committed two turnovers, both of which Ohio State ultimately turned into points to pull away.
- Smith ties Marvin Harrison Jr. (2022) for the most receiving touchdowns through five games in the past 10 seasons. He's quickly closing in on Cris Carter's freshman record of eight receiving touchdowns.
- Johnson's 86 yards rushing were the most for Iowa against a ranked opponent since the 2021 season, when the Hawkeyes got 98 from Leshon Williams in the Citrus Bowl.
- Howard scored five touchdowns in the win. Three of them went to star receiver Emeka Egbuka, who led the game with 10 targets.