Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Hawkeye Steamrolled by Ohio State 35-7

Starting point is 00:00:00 It was another opportunity against a top 10 opponent. It's gone the way they have lately for Iowa football. Iowa blown out by Ohio State today. Locked on Hawkeyes. You are locked on Hawkeyes. Your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:28 Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code LOCKDOWNCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Well, here we are again,

Starting point is 00:00:56 another matchup against the top 10 team. Another time where Iowa is blown off the field. And though many of these games have felt very similar, there is plenty in this one that was different. We start with this. Ohio State's really good. We do have to, before we break down the Iowa perspective, just give credence to the fact is this is an incredibly talented Ohio State team. And trying to find any kind of weakness, vulnerability with this Buckeye squad

Starting point is 00:01:26 is incredibly fine. Difficult to do. They are a fine football team that is going to be in contention for a national championship. They would be my pick right now to win it all, even as they have not been tested through the first month and a half of the season. It'll get more difficult for them, but Iowa was not the team to press them. 7-0 at the half, and a first half that was marred by some inexplicable decisions. So I got a text message right before the game from a player's dad who mentioned that they've been working on both fake punts and fake field goals throughout the course of the week. I'm like, all right, here we go.

Starting point is 00:02:04 Nate Kading, back in the day, he had a big play in the horseshoe. Saw a play on that one. Of course, we've seen plenty of time. Polecat against the Buckeyes back in 2017. So that got a little juiced up. And we saw the decision to go for it on fourth and one. That wasn't because Kurt Ferentz used a timeout. We'll get to that momentarily.

Starting point is 00:02:24 But the first half played out how Iowa wanted it to play out. I mean, how it had to happen. And as good as Caden McNamara was through the first half of football, he missed the one throw that he couldn't afford to miss. And that was Caden Weijin running wide open up the right side, a little bit of a scramble play. He's out there for a huge gainer, would at minimum put Iowa in the red zone, and very well could have changed the complexion at least in the first half. He can't make the play. He just can't. I don't know if it's physical. I don't know if it's mental, but whatever it is, he couldn't make the play. He couldn't make the throw that he had to. And he was making throws.

Starting point is 00:03:05 He was making the short passes. And he was moving around a little bit with his feet and buying himself a little bit of time. And he was doing the things. But in the biggest moment, he couldn't come up big. Is that what Cade McNamara now is? A game manager at best? A guy that is going to struggle, though, in the big moments?

Starting point is 00:03:26 Is he a guy that can win you a football game and you're continuing to come back to the response? No, he can't. That that guy, the guy that we saw at Michigan, the guy that we thought we were going to get when he was brought in, that that guy's no longer there because of the injuries, because of physical limitations, because of the changing dynamic of college football,

Starting point is 00:03:49 whatever it is, or what I was doing schematically with him, that that guy's never coming back. And if that's the case, then it's a very easy decision. You move on. Outside of the financial investment that the Swarm Collective made, Iowa has no investment in Cade McNamara. They need to play the guy that gives them the best chance to win. Now, I have my reservations about Brendan Sullivan.

Starting point is 00:04:13 We'll talk about that more throughout the course of the week. But that aside, what we've seen from Cade McNamara is he's just not good enough. He just isn't. And if Iowa's going to get hot here in the back half of the year and get us excited again and maybe even potentially put themselves in position to play in Indianapolis in December, I know it's a long road to get there and it's an incredibly difficult, maybe the most difficult opponent comes up this week against Washington. Again, we'll get to that.

Starting point is 00:04:47 But we know Kirk Ferentz won't do that. As we've talked about every day, as you know, Kirk Ferentz, we talk about this, his brain is broken by quarterbacks. He has this old adage, for whatever reason, and he has dug his heels in so firmly at the quarterback position. His unwillingness to change, his unwillingness to try something else. What's the upside was a very, a blurb that was thrown out there by his son that

Starting point is 00:05:16 got a lot of run. What's the upside? Well, the upside right now with Cade McNamara is not very good. At best, it's okay. And that's at best. And that's what we have. A frustrating day of football. A frustrating day because, yes, Ohio State's better. But at 7-0 at the half, you just, you get that glimmer of hope, right? And maybe with a break, maybe with a play.

Starting point is 00:05:45 But Iowa goes out there at midfield, fourth and one, they didn't get the look that they wanted. And this happens all the time. Now it's going to get more push because of the way that it played out. Normally, the timeout's called before the snap happens, and we never even know that a fake punt was on. Or you just don't get the look, and you just punt it. Instead, Iowa snaps the ball, gets the first down with the timeout had

Starting point is 00:06:11 already been called, and it rankles the fan base. And it's frustrating. I got to take a quick sip. Got a little bit of a cold here, so bear with me today. But I get your frustration frustration because that was frustrating. And as we continue, we look at this game, the third quarter when the wheels completely fell off. Ohio State's able to pin their ears back. They get a two-score lead, and it's over. And down 14-0 in a football game, it should never feel over.

Starting point is 00:06:42 And it should never feel over for a football team that has shown that they can run the football and they can move the ball at least on the ground. Down two score should not be a death knell for anybody at any level of football. But against good opponents now, it is. The formula that Iowa used where over a decade stretch, they went eight and eight against top 10 teams.

Starting point is 00:07:06 That formula doesn't work anymore. That formula doesn't work for a myriad of different reasons. We'll talk about that. We'll continue to talk about this game and a big picture look at Iowa football. We'll do that as we continue. This is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. The Lockdown Hawkeyes Podcast. Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by LinkedIn.

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Starting point is 00:08:52 Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash lockdown college. That's linkedin.com slash lockdown college to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Trent Conant back with you here again on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast as we react to the 35-7 loss to Ohio State. All right. So, Buckeyes are good. Iowa, not good.

Starting point is 00:09:19 What are the reasons? What has changed where suddenly Iowa, against these good opponents, just can't compete? The teams are good. That's a part of it. Michigan, last year, won a national championship. This Ohio State team very well could win a national championship. So that's a component.

Starting point is 00:09:40 But you also see in these games, Penn State a year ago, 10-0 at that. Everything went wrong for Iowa in that football game. They were still there, at least with an outside chance. 7-0 at the half against Ohio State. Last year against Michigan in the Big Ten championship game. They're competing. The defense is doing its job. The special teams are at least okay. Not great on Saturday, but for the most part, okay. But the offense has got to a level where I believe these top-level teams know we don't have to take chances. Don't do anything dumb.

Starting point is 00:10:12 Don't give them any avenue. And we're seeing these teams more and more against Iowa now becoming ultra-conservative. And we're just going to play this over 60 minutes and know that our talent is going to beat you, that our talent is so much better than yours, that we will play a very boring, methodical game style against this Iowa football team, and we know eventually we'll just out-athlete you. We'll just beat you because we have better players.

Starting point is 00:10:41 In the past, Iowa used that formula, but they had guys that could make plays. They had a C.J. Beathard that was going to make a play, a Ricky Stanzi that would step up, a quarterback, a wide receiver, somebody that would step up and make that big play. And when you have a playmaker, one in Caleb Johnson, where it's very easy for a team to game plan and scheme, if we shut him down, that's it. Iowa has to get better at quarterback or wide receiver if they're ever going to get back to the level that we saw not too long ago, where they at least have a puncher's chance against these great teams. It didn't always go well. And there was a certain way and a certain style

Starting point is 00:11:22 that Iowa had to play in order to win these football games. But those teams are not willing to play that style anymore. They're not willing to let Iowa hang around. They put them away. They put them away with better talent and Iowa's inability to get enough out of the quarterback position and enough out of the wide receivers. So much frustration during that third quarter. As you saw the wheels continuing to fall off. Ohio State getting after the quarterback. McNamara didn't have a counterpunch. And as you

Starting point is 00:11:52 drop him back and fumbling the ball and throwing around, it just, it got ugly in a hurry. It was bad. It was really, really bad and really frustrating against Ohio State because you felt you could have been there. Look, it would have taken a 99 out of 100 shot for this to happen. You get that. But there were parts of it that left you saying maybe it could be there. And as we look towards the rest of the season, you got Washington coming up. And Kirk Ferentz at times frustrates me, like I'm sure

Starting point is 00:12:27 all of you out there. There are times as much as I respect Kirk Ferentz as a person, the old school football things that continue to get in the way of this program. Where this program is, as we found out on Monday, two guys leaving, Kayla Brown and LaShawn Williams. So both those guys are moving on. In the grand scheme of things, okay. It's fine. Kayla Brown doesn't play.

Starting point is 00:12:53 Doesn't run the routes the right way. Gets in trouble in the offseason. Doesn't do the things necessary. Williams buried on the depth chart. It's third. Okay. Wants to get one more season of college football, so be it. So you have that.

Starting point is 00:13:10 And running back is not a problem right now for Iowa football. But what does Iowa have left to play for? And I know that's a question that is rattling around in a lot of minds. You know, what's left? We come into the season with expectations that if things go well, this team can be in the college football playoff. And you're number one of a 12-team playoff that this team can get there. The schedule is advantageous. It's set up in a way that short of this game against Ohio State, it's going to be there.

Starting point is 00:13:43 set up in a way that short of this game against Ohio State, it's going to be there. And though it's not completely off the table, now you have to be perfect. And can this team be perfect against a bunch of teams that they're very similar? They did it a year ago, but they also got breaks. They got bounces. They made a few plays. But to think that you're going to be able to do that again another season. And because Iowa has worked to thread the needle so much with what they're doing defensively

Starting point is 00:14:14 and how they just continue to put this defense in terrible situation after terrible situation year after year after year and just are unwilling to go out and do anything to try to change it. Washington, road game at Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin at home, at UCLA, at Maryland, and then Nebraska on Black Friday. You're on the table? All right, we're having a different conversation.

Starting point is 00:14:39 But do you see that out of this group? Do you see this squad being able to do it? With a quarterback that struggles with arm strength. With a quarterback that has not shown an ability outside of against Illinois State. To be a playmaker. It's just not realistic. Excuse me. It's frustrating.

Starting point is 00:15:05 It's demoralizing. Because when you even move past this year, this is a football team that next year is bringing back five, six starters, something like that. This is a program that has not recruited at a high level lately. And you start, if you're an older guy like me, to have memories at the end of the Hayden era where things look like they were flying high.

Starting point is 00:15:32 96, a great season. Played really well at the end of the year. Had a big win against Washington. Mentioned the Huskies in the Sun Bowl at the end of the season. A Washington team that had tied for the Pac-10 championship that year. And come back in 97, get off to a roaring start. And then the wheels fell off. Andy Katzenmeier.

Starting point is 00:15:53 Knocking down Tavian Banks in the first play of the game. Look out. Lose that one. And then an injury happens at the quarterback spot. And you don't have anything you knew. As Sherman goes down in the Michigan game. When he had Michigan on the ropes. He had Michigan beat.

Starting point is 00:16:05 You were the better team on the field that day. It didn't happen. Sherman goes down. He loses a couple of close games. And what looked to be a great year turns out to be one of the more disappointing years in Iowa football. And we could be trending that direction again. And this is where my frustrations lie with Kirk Ferentz

Starting point is 00:16:26 over the last six, seven, eight years, is you've had this defense that's gone from very good to an elite level. And for the most part, special teams have been very good seemingly every single year. But you've wasted those opportunities. You've wasted the chance to take a step forward as a program because these don't come around very often. These windows, these opportunities, they can go by very quickly.

Starting point is 00:16:52 And you look at future schedules and how much more difficult they're going to be than what they had this season. That gets scary in a hurry. When you look at what's on the slate in the next couple of years for Iowa football. And those schedules going forward are going to be at a completely different level than what they had this season. So future seasons, next year, they have road trip to Iowa State. They go to Nebraska. Rutgers, USC, and Wisconsin.

Starting point is 00:17:25 Not only that, they also welcome in to Kinnick Stadium Indiana 6-0 the first bowl eligible team in college football this year. Michigan State comes in year number two of their new regime. Minnesota no it's likely going to be a close game.

Starting point is 00:17:41 Oh and Oregon and Penn State by the way also come into Kinnick Stadium next season. How about 2026? Five road games in the Big Ten. You go to Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Washington. Oh, also a road trip to the Big House to take on Michigan.

Starting point is 00:17:59 And home games against Wisconsin, Purdue, okay, Ohio State, Nebraska. That's right. They'll play Wisconsin, Purdue, okay. Ohio State, Nebraska. That's right. They'll play Washington, Michigan, Ohio State in 2026. 2027. Another game with Michigan. Both UCLA and USC come to town.

Starting point is 00:18:19 You go to Indiana. You go to Nebraska. You go to Wisconsin. You go to Oregon. This is the new reality of the Big Ten. Iowa squandered opportunities in the past, and it looks like this season could be squandered as well. The NIL funds are not rolling in.

Starting point is 00:18:38 The Swarm Collective has an incredibly difficult task of getting this fan base to pay up. And we can complain about it. We can bitch about it. We can sit here and say, well, it's not the way that it should be. It's not why I like college athletics. Go ahead and complain about it. But it is reality.

Starting point is 00:18:55 We like to live in reality here on Locked On Hawkeyes. And the reality is that this is the new world. And Iowa football is not equipped for it. And it's going to get worse before it gets better. So let's rally the troops. Let's hope that this thing turns around. Let's hope that they can get it figured out and they run off and they do something special this year

Starting point is 00:19:19 because this is Iowa's likely last chance to have a special season and they already have two losses. More Locked On Hawkeyes. Final look at a couple other things from the matchup against Ohio State before we get ready to turn the page. Stay right there. We continue. This is Locked On Hawkeyes.

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Starting point is 00:21:10 talking some big picture stuff. You go through some of the numbers, the yardage, totals, Iowa, 10 first downs. I mean, come on. 5-12 on third down. 0-0 on fourth down. I think that's also something don't even try.

Starting point is 00:21:26 It doesn't work. But here we are. Hold Ohio State. Hold to 412 yards. But very balanced attack. 203 yards rushing. 209 yards passing. I was long streak of not allowing a team over 400 yards comes to an end in this one.

Starting point is 00:21:40 They get to the quarterback just one time. Will Howard had all day. And I thought going in, we mentioned this one time They get to the quarterback just one time. Will Howard had all day. And I thought going in, we mentioned this one time last week, I thought Brian Allen was going to have to be more heavily involved. Him and Maxwell and those guys played a little bit. They're okay, but just were not having any ability to get the quarterback. It's been a concern. It's been a question. They kept the running game at bay, but boy, those receivers for Ohio State. Jeremiah Smith, just an absolute stud.

Starting point is 00:22:09 Then you throw, okay, we're going to put that. And then Emeka Buka doing his thing. They're just, they're great. They're a great team. Will Howard was better than I thought he'd be. I thought he had a solid game outside of the Castro interception. Castro gets a pick. Jay Higgins was incredible.

Starting point is 00:22:25 He was so good in this football game. Of course, we saw Brandon Sullivan later. Saw Caleb Johnson get a touchdown late in the game as well. At least ended the streak. What was it? Up to 120 to nothing against top 10 teams recently for Iowa. Now it's 120 to seven. Who cares? You're still getting blitzed, right? And that doesn't make any of us feel good it shouldn't if you're hanging your hat on that find another hat find somewhere else to hang it i don't know again battle the cold um i'm gonna see reese vanderzee with a couple of catches a couple of third down catches those were important at the time lachey got a little bit more involved can't do anything up the field though with him with him. 7.8 yards per reception. Nothing down the field.

Starting point is 00:23:08 Couple of overturned calls. The first downs that Ohio State got that Iowa didn't, that just leaves you shaking your head. Not going to beat this Ohio State team. You need all those breaks, all those 50-50 calls to go your way, and they certainly didn't go Iowa's way. You're outclassed, and they're continually outclassed. If this was one game, you could chalk it up to just that.

Starting point is 00:23:31 It's one game. But now we are talking about six years of ineptitude against the best teams on your schedule. When you're taking on the big boys, Iowa can't compete, and that's where the frustration lies. Oh, one more shout- out to Jay Higgins. What a stud. Boy, having to be all over the place, playing that spot, playing inside out,

Starting point is 00:23:52 going out, making plays, interception, forced fumble, just 14 tackles in the game, an absolute stud. But he's going to be gone. This is his last go around. And he's not alone. This is a veteran squad that just can't do it. And that's where we are. And I'm searching for answers. I'm sure you are as well. I will continue to try to find them here on Lockdown Hawkeyes throughout the course of the

Starting point is 00:24:17 week. Coming up this week, we'll talk with Scott Dockterman from The Athletic. Get his perspective. He was in Columbus for the game. Going to get Biz to stop by. We'll talk with him a little bit, get his thoughts on things. We got some Iowa basketball media day on Monday. We'll talk about that. Mention the decision. A couple of guys departing the team. Sean Williams and Caleb Brown. What does that say?

Starting point is 00:24:37 Some big picture stuff. Some recent stuff. We'll get ready for the matchup against Washington. You know, this Washington team coming into the year, they have the lowest amount of starters coming back and all of the power five level, uh, power four level now, excuse me. And they look to be a program that was pretty well decimated by not only the transfer portal, but they were also really veteran team last year that played for a championship. They're better than I thought that they should have won the Rutgers game when expectancy was like 97%

Starting point is 00:25:04 for Washington. They lose it. Okay. Their other game against Washington State, obviously a rivalry game. How important that was after the departure of Washington, the Big Ten for Wazoo. In that game too, you look at the statistical profile. Washington was a better team that day. They're going to be good. This is going to be a team that is going to come in. I always got to be ready to go. The good news is this is normally when Kirk Ferentz is at his best, back against the wall, rallied the troops, and the culture that he builds, these are the spots. Not get too high, too low.

Starting point is 00:25:35 These are the things that he's normally very good at. No guarantee. We'll talk about that as well. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We need to get a little tea, get ready and be back with you on tomorrow's program. As always, thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen

Starting point is 00:25:51 every day and also check this out. Your second listen, you want to check out Locked On Big Ten. Craig Sheeman does a great job. He puts the Big Ten first whenever one else is overlooking it by Locked, Big Ten on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Starting point is 00:26:09 We'll be back with you tomorrow. More Hawkeye Talk. Thanks for being with us. Until then, go Hawks.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Hawkeye Steamrolled by Ohio State 35-7

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