Ohio State Coach Reveals How To Beat Iowa

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day spoke out about how to beat the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Sep 24, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day speaks to the media during a press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Tuesday. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes are set to face their toughest test of the young 2024 season this weekend. They will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

While Ohio State is favored to win this game and are expected to win it fairly convincingly, underestimating Iowa would be a massive mistake. The Hawkeyes are a well-coached football team and they're known for playing very hard.

Also, Iowa badly wants to come into Columbus and pull off the upset. That kind of a win would put them back on the map as a potential College Football Playoff team.

Keeping that in mind, Day spoke out during his press conference and revealed how the Buckeyes will need to beat the Hawkeyes.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s going to come down to the players. We’ve got to do a good job of keeping it simple and letting them play. That’s it. If you start getting into a situation where you try to out-scheme somebody, it’s not going to go well against these guys. You’ve got to keep it simple, let these guys play and give them an advantage in terms of putting them in a position to be successful. But to say we’re going to out-scheme Iowa, that’s not going to happen. You’ve got to play harder.”

Basically, Day believes that effort and heart will be the deciding factor in whether or not the Buckeyes stay undefeated.

Everyone knows that Iowa is going to be ready to play and that they're going to come out looking to throw a punch. They have always been the kind of team that will completely outwork their opponent if their level of effort isn't matched right off the bat.

Day understands that he needs to let his players win the game. Overcoaching a team is the easiest way to get trapped into an upset loss. Ohio State can't afford to let that happen.

This season is all about winning a national championship for the Buckeyes. Games against teams like Iowa can sometimes be the hardest to win.

If Ohio State can take care of the football, have their playmakers continue to make plays offensively, and play hard-nosed defense, they should walk out of the game with a win.

On the flip side of that, if they come in and start slow, they could set themselves up for a disaster.

Ever player needs to do their job, play harder than the Hawkeyes, and earn the win this weekend. It won't be an easy game, but the Buckeyes are the better team and if they match Iowa's effort they should be just fine.