COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State turned a 7-0 halftime lead into a dominant 35-7 win over Iowa as the third-ranked Buckeyes improved to 5-0 heading into a highly anticipated top ten showdown at Oregon next week.
Emeka Egbuka led the way with three touchdowns, including the first score of the day after catching a 14-yard throw on the opening drive to give OSU an early 7-0 lead.
The game became a defensive battle for both sides until the third quarter when Jeremiah Smith made two highlight worthy catches to double the Buckeyes lead. The freshman wideout hauled in a 53-yard pass from Will Howard to get inside the redzone before making a one-handed grab in the endzone for his sixth touchdown of the season.
The Buckeyes then took advantage of two Hawkeyes turnovers in the third quarter to build a 28-0 lead, thanks to scores by Egbuka and Howard. The quarterback's four-yard run into the endzone with 7:59 to go in the third was the first time Iowa allowed a rushing touchdown this season.
The attention now shifts to the Ducks, who also improved to 5-0 this season after a 31-10 win over Michigan State on Friday night. Oregon will be the first ranked opponent the Buckeyes have faced this season. The Oct. 12 game is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBC4.