COLUMBUS, Ohio — Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker, the Ohio native, came into Columbus with a plan. The Hawkeyes were going to force Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and this remarkable Buckeyes offense to show patience and earn their way down the field. They were going to mix things up at the cash position, rotating multiple looks to confuse Ohio State’s effective passing game with the return of elite slot receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And they were even going to bring a little calculated pressure. All of it worked wonderfully for most of three quarters, until the impossibility of the situation caved in. In the first half of Saturday’s game in front of 104,848 fans at Ohio Stadium, Iowa pressured Stroud into a costly mistake and Joe Evans collected a scoop-and-score touchdown. At that point, Iowa was even leading. The Buckeyes couldn’t run the ball, either, rushing just 16 times for…
Continue Reading: Leistikow thoughts from Iowa's 54-10 loss at Ohio State: Great defense gone to waste
