Place: Columbus, Ohio
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday
TV: ABC
Line: Ohio State by 16.5
Three reasons Iowa will win
Marvin McNutt and the receivers will have to step up for Iowa to beat Ohio State.
1. Playing Pryor: Ohio State coach Jim Tressel went the physiological route when raving about the Hawkeyes’ defensive ends. “They’re very long,” he said. “They do a great job with their hands, and they’re extremely strong in the hips.” Thanks for the report, Dr. Tressel. There’s no doubt Adrian Clayborn and Broderick Binns can dominate a game. Throw in Iowa’s opportunistic back seven – the team’s 19 interceptions lead Division I-A – and young, flappable Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor could be destined for another rough day.
2. One more miracle: Last week’s loss to Northwestern doesn’t erase the litany of crazy plays that have left the Hawkeyes in position to win a conference championship. Take a minute to pick a favorite – the blocked field goals against Northern Iowa, the blocked punt at Penn State, the last-second touchdown at Michigan State or the pinball pick-six against Indiana. Maybe, though, the best one is yet to come. If any team has the karma to spring this sort of surprise in the Horseshoe, it’s Iowa. “We’ve had to fight and scratch for everything we’ve gotten,” coach Kirk Ferentz said on a teleconference. “That’s the way it goes.”
3. Steady receivers: The starting quarterback has an ankle sprain so severe it required surgery. The starting tailback remains gimpy with a sprained …
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