Ohio State vs. Iowa 2017 live stream: How to watch online

The Ohio State Buckeyes pulled off one of the most exciting comebacks so far this college football season last week against Penn State, winning by just one point thanks to a legendary fourth-quarter performance by quarterback J.T. Barrett. Now in control of their own postseason destiny, the No. 6 Buckeyes travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN (live stream).

The Hawkeyes started the season strong with three straight wins, only to be curtailed by Big Ten competition. They fell to Penn State in Week 4 and followed that up with a loss to Michigan State and then to Northwestern — despite a win over Illinois in between. They did claim victory last week against the Gophers, but it was a nail-biter for most of the 60 minutes, leaving Iowa at 5-3 heading into this matchup.

I do think Ohio State showed they were the better team, but special teams is one of the three parts of the game, so their special teams performance can’t just be written off. Nor can their two fumbles or 10 penalties for 79 yards.

But there have also been moments where we see what really could be under a Brian Ferentz offense. The Iowa State game, the first couple series against Northwestern (as well as the quick-hitter before half). We saw that again with the first series of each half Saturday evening.

It really was a thing of beauty. It went 80 yards in less than two and a half minutes and ended in seven points. Just what the doctor ordered. Even better, it came with tendency-breakers designed to soften up the defense and remove a couple of those pesky box defenders to setup up easier running lanes the rest of the way.

Of late I have occasionally felt silly for putting so much time and mental energy into football, when the world has so many bigger fish to fry. But Saturday was a perfect reminder of why any of us started caring in the first place: to share in heartbreak and joy with others, to feel like part of something bigger than ourselves, and, every so often, to bear witness to something transcendent.

That’s what Barrett was on Saturday afternoon—transcendent. These are the kinds of games that can make or break legacies; it feels safe to say that Barrett firmly cemented his own against Penn State.

With their big win over Penn State last week, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 6 in the first CFP rankings of 2017 and leapt into the national conversation for a playoff spot. But first, Ohio State will have a few hurdles to clear before it claims a spot among the final four teams.

The Buckeyes still have to play both a No. 24 ranked Michigan State team and also their bitter rival Michigan at the end of November. While the Wolverines haven’t shown to be the most dominant team this season, and Jim Harbaugh’s record in Big Ten rivalries is rather abysmal, you know his team will bring the full arsenal against Urban Meyer’s team later in the year.

Even if they make it through the rest of the regular season unscathed, they’ll likely face another top-10 ranked Big Ten West team — Wisconsin — in the conference title game. (Seriously, how similar is this Buckeye season to 2014!? Spooky.) If it can come out on top and do so in impressive fashion, Ohio State should have no problem snagging one of the four spots competing for the National Championship.

The Buckeyes keep their momentum from last week’s win and manage to claim another Big Ten win on the road. Meyer said in his weekly presser that Kinnick Stadium presents a unique atmosphere, but this team should be used to impressively loud stadiums and crowds at this point.