3 Brutal Takeaways From Iowa Hawkeyes' Loss to Ohio State

Here are three takeaways from the Iowa Hawkeyes' awful loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) gets a pass off against Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) and Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) in the second quarter during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes kept it close for one half against the Ohio State Buckeyes, but after the last 40 minutes, things unraveled.

Iowa fell by a score of 35-7, and now, the Hawkeyes are just 3-2 on the season.

Here are a few takeaways from the Hawkeyes' loss.

Cade McNamara doesn't have it

Cade McNamara actually got off to a decent start in the affair, leading a couple of solid drives and making some nice throws. However, he missed a couple of big plays in the first half, and none of Iowa's possessions resulted in points when he was on the field.

McNamara went 14-for-20, which is good. But he only threw for 98 yards, which isn't. It marked the fifth time he has finished with under 100 yards passing in 10 career starts for the Hawkeyes.

Most of McNamara's completions were on very short throws, and even some of the throws on which he connected were rather shaky.

It may be time for Kirk Ferentz to consider going to Brendan Sullivan.

The secondary is a problem

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard carved up Iowa's secondary even more than he did Akron's, and that's saying something.

The Hawkeyes allowed Howard to go 21-for-25 with 209 yards and four touchdowns. They did pick him off once late in the first half, but that was basically Howard's only mistake.

Howard certainly deserves credit for playing well, and the Buckeyes have an incredible receiving corps. But Iowa prides itself on defense.

We saw the Hawkeyes' secondary showing some cracks earlier in the season when it uncharacteristically surrendered some big plays. Well, against Ohio State, it was a constant assault from Howard, and Iowa never found an answer.

Can Iowa actually beat good teams?

Last season, Iowa played three ranked opponents. It lost all three of those games, getting outscored 92-0 in the trio of contests. No, that is not a typo.

On Saturday against the Buckeyes, it was more of the same.

Yes, the Hawkeyes played a decent first half, exhibiting a "bend-don't-break" defense that stalled numerous Ohio State drives. But Iowa completely fell apart coming out of halftime.

That begs the question: can the Hawkeyes actually beat anyone worthwhile?

Iowa's best win this season came against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Even though it's a Big Ten victory, it's not exactly a banner win.

Ohio State is by far the toughest game on the Hawkeyes' schedule. They won't be facing Oregon or Michigan, which is a plus. But Iowa's performance against top opponents the last couple of years doesn't say a whole lot about the program.