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10 Things We Learned from Big Ten Title-Clinching Win over Iowa
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It was a night to remember for Buckeye fans, but not before a fourth quarter to forget.

OSU tailback Brandon Saine Scores from 49-yards out.
Photo by Jim Davidson

After taking a 24-10 lead on Brandon Saine’s 49-yard touchdown jaunt with 11:11 to play, Ohio State coughed up the lead down the stretch before recovering to get to the 27-24 win in overtime on a 39-yard field goal by walk-on kicker Devin Barclay.

We take a look at the 10 things we learned from Big Ten title, and Rose Bowl, clinching victory over Iowa.

10. Iowa is the best team Ohio State has played this season. No offense to Purdue, because they beat the Buckeyes soundly just five weeks ago, but this Iowa team was better than Ohio State’s previous 10 opponents. Yes, USC came into the Horseshoe and beat the Buckeyes with a true freshman quarterback, but this was a much different OSU team than the one that took the field back in September. While the Trojans have seemingly gotten worse as the season’s gone along, the Buckeyes have gone the other direction (with the exception of that trip to West Lafayette). Yet the Hawkeyes stood toe-to-toe with the four-time defending Big Ten champs Saturday with their own freshman quarterback, rallying from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Their offensive line more than held its own against the Buckeyes fearsome front, and after the game Thad Gibson even went as far as to call them the best group he’s faced all year. No. 94 Adrian Clayborn is a beast (12 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss) and the Buckeyes made just enough plays to avoid the “upset.”

Iowa redshirt freshman quarterback James Vandeenberg played well vs. OSU
Photo by Jim Davidson

9. This Vandenberg kid has talent. A big reason so many people were writing off the Hawkeyes after the injury to Ricky Stanzi was the fact they would be forced to go with a redshirt freshman making his career start on the road, in the Horseshoe, against an OSU defensive line that just one week ago made life absolutely miserable for senior Daryll Clark in Happy Valley. But James Vandenberg stood tall in the pocket (thanks in big part to the protection) as he completed 20 of his 33 passes for 233 yards and touchdowns. While he threw three interceptions (one on a Hail Mary in overtime and another off the fingertips of a receiver), he also made some big-time throws, including both of his TD passes to Marvin McNutt. Just a gut feeling, but this game isn’t nearly as close with Stanzi under center.

8. Conservatism still wins…in the Big Ten. What do Jim Tressel, Joe Paterno and Kirk Ferentz have in common? Besides being three of the most successful coaches in the country, they are also three of the most conservative. Tressel in particular takes a tremendous amount of heat for “playing things close to the vest,” but it could be argued that Ohio State beat Penn State and Iowa in back-to-back weeks by simply winning the battle of conservatism.

OSU fans take the field after the big win over Iowa
Photo by Dan Harker

7. Buckeye fever is back. Could you feel? If you were at the Penn State game last week in State College, could you feel it? There was a change; a new sense of excitement and energy that seems to come from finally winning a big game after so many times coming up short over the past three seasons. You certainly could see it on the field after Saturday’s win over Iowa (when was the last time fans stormed the field at the Shoe in a game that wasn’t against Michigan?) Yet there they were. Devin Barclay’s kick had barely cleared the uprights in overtime before fans came streaming out of their seats to flood the field.

“I didn't think about it at that time. I didn't think everybody was going to come running down. I was just was expecting to celebrate with my teammates. Then sure enough, everybody came down,” said Barclay, who not too long ago was playing games in front of 22 thousand fans at Columbus Crew Stadium.

6. Special teams can be a fickle mistress. If you didn’t believe Tressel about the importance of special teams before the last two weeks, you probably do now. Just one week ago, the Buckeyes used a nearly flawless performance on special teams – including two big punt returns by Ray Small – to swing the momentum in their favor at Penn State. Saturday, the Hawkeyes nearly did the reverse to Ohio State. Not only did they get a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes missed a 47-yarder that would have made it a two-score game (also in the fourth quarter). They also got horrendous day from punter Jon Thoma, who actually set up the team’s first touchdown at PSU with a 55-yard punt. He booted his first one against Iowa 48 yards, but followed it up with punts of 26, 31 and 36 yards (two of which led to Iowa’s first two scores), giving the Hawkeyes excellent field position each time.

5. Pigs can fly. Or at least that’s what I was told would happen on the day a tight end led Ohio State in receiving. Yet that was the case Saturday as Jake Ballard caught three passes for a game-high 24 yards against Iowa.

Boom Herron scores against Iowa
Photo by Jim Davidson

4. The Buckeyes have figured out their run game. Call in boring, call it bland, call it old-fashioned, just don’t call it unsuccessful. Since losing at Purdue, the Buckeyes have recommitted themselves to pounding the football on the ground, and it has a lot to do with why they have won four straight games to wrap up at least a share of a fifth straight conference title. Not only have they rushed for over 200 yards as team in each of the last four games, they are averaging nearly 260 yards on the ground since the Purdue game. They have seven 200-yard rushing performances on the season, tying season-high for Tressel (2007), including games of 270 (Minnesota), 310 (New Mexico State), 228 (Penn State) and 229 (Iowa) yards over their last four.

3. Brandon Saine still has that extra gear. After coming in with a reputation for being a “burner” from his track days at Pique High School, tailback Brandon Saine has actually developed into a 220-pound tackle-breaker. Before his concussion against Minnesota, Saine was putting together a fine junior season and he seemed to regain his vision and determination against Iowa. He carried the ball only 11 times (compared to 32 carries for Herron), but finished with 103 yards and two touchdowns (tripling his season total). The only other OSU tailback to run for 100 yards this season was also Saine against Indiana. His first touchdown run – a 22-yarder where he bounced off two tacklers and carried another into the end zone – was the kind of run we’ve become accustomed to from Saine this season, but it was his second run that opened some eyes. Following an interception by linebacker Ross Homan, Saine took a handoff running left and blasted through the hole and down the left sideline, 49 yards into the end zone, showing the kind of afterburners people expected to see from him when he got to Ohio State.

Ross Homan records and interception against Iowa
Photo by Jim Davidson

2. Homan is the most consistent performer on the defense. No doubt fans were wowed by the one-man wrecking machine named Cam Heyward last weekend at Penn State, and obviously Thad Gibson and Kurt Coleman have had their moments this season, along with Brian Rolle. But the one guy who seems to show up week-in and week-out and make big plays is Ross Homan. The junior out of Coldwater finished with a team-high eight tackles Saturday, which vaults him ahead of Rolle for the team lead with 84 tackles this season. He also had a key interception in the fourth quarter that set up the long Saine touchdown run, and simply seems to be developing that James Laurinaitis knack for being around the football.

1.Pryor is now a facilitator. He might be the most athletic player on the roster, but right now Terrelle Pryor’s primary role is to simply facilitate the offense. Since turning the ball over four times at Purdue, Pryor has been much more efficient with the football (14-17 passing against Iowa), in big part because he’s been asked to do less. Despite his 14 completions Saturday, Pryor threw for just 93 yards. That’s one week after he threw for 125 at Penn State. Yet the Buckeyes came away with victories in both games. Certainly he is still capable of the big play, especially once he has time to rest his ankle for the bowl game, but right now his most impactful play seems to be the handoff. At least until he gets his burst back.

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