With Ohio State having lost two straight games this might seem like a bad time for Iowa to play the Buckeyes. Then again, there has never been a god time for Iowa to play Ohio State. The Hawks have won just 13 of the previous 58 meetings and will try to snap an eight game losing streak to Ohio State this weekend. Hawkeye Coach Kirk Ferentz says the Buckeyes always have good athletes. He says it’s hard to look at a film over the last 20 years and not see excellent football players. Ohio State’s offense has struggled but if the Buckeyes get close they usually get points from kicker Mike Nugent. Ferentz says Nugent is the equivalent of his former kicker Nate Kaeding. He says Nugent still performs at a high level on field goals and kickoffs and he gets a sense Nugent is a real team leader. The Hawkeyes rode the arm of Drew Tate to beat Michigan State in their last outing but Ferentz won’t say the Hawks have become a passing team. He says they’re doing whatever it takes to win right now and are practicing 50-50 when it comes to the run and pass. He says the game dictates what they do.For the past two seasons it semmed Ohio State found every way possible to win a close game. That all changed the last couple of weeks as the Buckeyes have lost to Northwestern and Wisconsin to open Big Ten action. They will try to avoid a third straight loss this week. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel says he thought the kids played hard and they all know they need to get better. Youth is a major factor. The Buckeyes lost 26 seniors gfrom last year’s team that finished 11-2. After being off the schedule for a few years Ohio State downed the Hawkeyes 19-10 in Columbus last season. He says that game was a knock down drag out game that his team knows either team could’ve won. He says he hopes the team remembers the black helmets hitting them in the last game.
