Ep. 279: Ohio State vs. Iowa preview, and can the Buckeyes win the national championship if the defense does not exceed expectations?

For the big Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk we resume our walk through Ohio State football's 2020 schedule after taking a "bye" week. Next up are the Iowa Hawkeyes, who will visit Ohio Stadium on Oct. 10. Nathan Baird talks with Des Moines Register columnist Chad Leistikow about all things Iowa. How do the Hawkeyes keep outperforming their recruiting rankings? How long will Kirk Ferentz stick around? And most importantly, how could Iowa potentially come to Columbus and give the Buckeyes a scare? Additionally, Nathan and Stephen Means reach back to Buckeye Talk Subtext subscriber memories of the 2017 Ohio State loss at Iowa. Some had very visceral reactions to that loss, but some also appreciated it for triggering necessary change within the program. Before all that, however, Nathan and Stephen debate a question that may be central to the Ohio State season. Which is more crucial for the Buckeyes' national championship hopes for 2020: An offense that reaches its expectations or a defense that exceeds its expectations? Plenty of great takes sent in by our listeners on that topic as well. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.