Iowa City Buzzes as Hawkeyes' 4-0 Start Meets No. 5 Buckeyes

Iowa is 4-0 for the first time since 2021 and hosts its first top-15 matchup since 2006, with College GameDay returning to Iowa City.

Kinnick Stadium is set for a feel-good showcase on Saturday, Oct. 3, when the 4-0, No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes host the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. According to CBS Sports, the two rivals are squaring off as top-15 foes for the first time since 2006, and Sports Illustrated reports College GameDay will be on-site in Iowa City for the first time since that same year. For a program that has spent years grinding out low-scoring wins, a packed stadium, national spotlight and a 4-0 record make this one of the warmest storylines of the college football weekend.

Iowa's 4-0 start is its first since 2021, when the Hawkeyes climbed to No. 2 in the AP poll and reached the Big Ten Championship Game, CBS Sports notes. The peak of the feel-good run came last week at Michigan, where quarterback Hank Brown led a game-winning drive capped by a touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee on the game's final play — a 16-yard strike with two seconds left that sealed a 20-19 win, per FOX Sports. FOX Sports adds that Brown has thrown for 700 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions this season, a level of clutch offensive execution that would have been unfathomable for Iowa in recent years.

The numbers back up the optimism. CBS Sports reports Iowa ranks No. 48 nationally in total offense — hardly remarkable on the surface, but a marked improvement after finishing 117th or worse in that category for the past five seasons. FOX Sports says the Hawkeyes are averaging 32.8 points and 215.5 rushing yards per game, while defensively they forced a red-zone interception at Michigan and got double-digit tackle games from three different players, including a season-high 11 from Cam Buffington. The evidence points to a more balanced, confident Iowa team than the one Ohio State beat by 28 in 2024 and 44 in 2022.

The stakes are high on both sides. CBS Sports writes that a win would put Iowa on a similar trajectory to its 2021 run and send its playoff chances skyrocketing, while Ohio State — already 3-1 with a one-point loss at Texas — can ill-afford a stumble ahead of a month that also includes trips to No. 6 Indiana and No. 18 USC. FOX Sports reports Ohio State is a 14.5-point favorite with a moneyline of -685, so Iowa faces long odds but a genuine breakthrough opportunity.

The game's brightest individual star adds to the festive atmosphere. Ohio State junior receiver Jeremiah Smith has 33 receptions for 617 yards and seven touchdowns through four games, per CBS Sports, which reports he is one touchdown from tying Chris Olave's program record and on track to become the first player to lead the Big Ten in receiving yards three times. FOX Sports notes Smith set a career high with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois, while quarterback Julian Sayin threw for a season-high 367 yards and four scores in that 42-19 win. Iowa's staff has named containing Smith its central defensive question.

Whatever the final score, Saturday marks a milestone day for a program on the upswing. College Sports Wire predicts Ohio State 27, Iowa 17 and names Iowa +13.5 as its best bet, expecting a tight game broken by one long play. CBS Sports' panel mostly picks Ohio State, though several note Iowa's side has value — the kind of respect a 4-0 Hawkeyes team has not heard in years.