Iowa Star Throws Fiery Words At Ohio State

Iowa Hawkeyes star Kaleb Johnson spoke out and threw some fiery words at the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Sep 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) runs for a touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for a very tough matchup this weekend against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Beating Ohio State will be a very difficult task. At this point in time, the Buckeyes are one of the top national championship contenders in college football.

However, while it is a difficult task, it's also a massive opportunity.

If Iowa could find a way to upset Ohio State, they would immediately start getting hype as a Big Ten championship contender. Potentially, they would be viewed as a possible College Football Playoff contender as well.

Ahead of this week's game star running back Kaleb Johnson spoke out about the Buckeyes. It is very clear how badly he wants to pull off the upset.

Johnson, who is an Ohio native, was not offered a scholarship by Ohio State. Even if he had been offered one, he said he wouldn't have taken it.

“Even if they offered me, I wouldn’t have went. Because I want to beat them. That’s my goal.”

In order for the Hawkeyes to have any chance at beating the Buckeyes, Johnson will need to put up a Heisman-like performance. He has put up those kind of numbers throughout the first four games of the year.

So far this season in four games, he has carried the football 82 times for 685 yards and nine touchdowns. Those numbers average out to an impressive 8.4 yards per carry.

While he has looked the part of a Heisman contender and has been dominating opposing defenses this season, doing it against Ohio State is a different story. The Buckeyes have a very talented defense.

Once again, Johnson has a huge opportunity. If he can put up the same kind of numbers against Ohio State that he has been producing against other teams, his own stock would rise and he would give his team a chance to win.

All of that being said, Johnson's comments have added a bit more intrigue to this matchup. He clearly wants this win badly and will do everything in his power to get it.

It will be interesting to see how the matchup goes on Saturday for both Iowa as a team and Johnson individually.