Block In The Road: Ohio State Final Obstacle To Iowa's Quest For Roses

The Iowa Hawkeyes are off to the best start in the long history of their football program, beating Penn State and Michigan along the way.

All signs point to the Hawkeyes running the table and playing in Pasadena either in the Rose Bowl or for the National Title. But in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.

Iowa's last major obstacle in the quest for a perfect season comes in the form of Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State. The Hawkeyes' final road game comes in the volatile Horseshoe where the Buckeyes could still be playing for a Big Ten title.

This matchup presents the two most talented defensive lines in the conference, anchored by Iowa's Adrian Clayborn and Ohio State's Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward.

Ricky Stanzi will be making his first trip back to his home state as a starting QB and Terrelle Pryor will get his first look at Iowa.

We know from Iowa's clutch performances in the last year that they are capable of taking any game from the jaws of defeat regardless of the opponent.

The defense is very opportunistic and aggressive, and with safeties Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood playing center field, they create alot of problems for opposing offenses.

And the offense has alot of balance to it, led by RB Brandon Wegher who will get most of the carries for the injured Adam Robinson. When the running game is in sync, look for Stanzi to hit his favorite targets in TE Tony Moeaki and WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos in the passing attack.

But Iowa has not played against a team with the defensive speed that the Buckeyes bring to the table, especially in the front seven.

Plus the Buckeyes have a defense that forces turnovers frequently and puts the offense in good position.

Offensively, the Buckeyes still have a long way to go to get to the level of the defense. But the talent is with Pryor and a stable of solid RBs led by Brandon Saine and Jordan Hall.

And the Buckeye WRs also have plenty of talent to bring to the table, with DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher getting a majority of the touches. The only problem for the offense is getting the ball to those playmakers and letting them put pressure on defenses.

It's tough to say where both teams will be in two weeks, but Ohio State is clearly going to be a tough test for the Hawkeyes, if not the toughest of the year.

But if Iowa does in fact take down the perennial powerhouse, then they are without a doubt worthy of taking the Big Ten title and the trip to Pasadena.

It will not be an easy game for either team, as both have a lot to prove.

Iowa has to prove they belong with the best in the nation, and the Buckeyes are out to prove that they still own the Big Ten conference.

Bragging rights and bowl destinies will be on the line November 14, along with possibly the Big Ten title provided the Buckeyes beat Penn State on November 7.