Rose Bowl Berth At Stake As No. 10 Ohio State Faces No. 15 Iowa

Sports News - November 11th, 2009 - Written by John

No. 10 Ohio State will host No. 15 Iowa on Saturday with alot riding in terms of the Big Ten conference. The Buckeyes (8-2, 5-1) will clinch the conference championship with a win and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1) suffered a devastating 17-10 loss last Saturday to Northwestern to put them in a must-win situation as well. They can also earn a berth to the Rose Bowl should they come out a winner against Ohio State. The Buckeyes got past Penn State last week 24-7. The Buckeyes will look to win their second in a row over Iowa after they defeated the Hawkeyes 38-17 a year ago.

Iowa's offense has taken a hit after losing starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi to ankle surgery. Freshman James Vandenberg gets the nod in replacement of Stanzi. Vandenberg has only completed 11 passes this year for 120 yards in limited action and will now face a tough opponent in his first collegiate start. This will put the pressure on the Hawkeyes' running game which has struggled this season and is only averaging 119 yards per game. Running backs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher will need to step up to alleviate the pressure that will be felt by Vendenberg. They have combined for 1,131 yards and 11 touchdowns. The offensive front will be key for Iowa and keeping pressure off of their freshman quarterback.

The key for Iowa's defense will be containing Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Applying pressure will be important as Pryor has tended to make mistakes while pressured.

The offense for Ohio State revolves around quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He has passed for 1,668 yards and 15 touchdowns and is also the team's leading rusher with 606 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Buckeyes running attack was successful in their win over Penn State, but will be challenged by Iowa's tough defensive front. Bradon Saine is their leading running back with 507 yards. Pryor has found a great chemistry with wide receiver DeVier Posey who has 672 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Buckeyes will need to do a good job of protecting Pryor to allow him to control the game.

Putting pressure on Iowa's freshman quarterback could be the difference in the game. The Buckeyes have already forced 25 turnovers this year and pressuring Vandenberg could greatly add to this total and propel them to a win.

Ohio State will come into the game as 16 1/2 point favorites over Iowa according to Betus Sportsbook with an over/under set at 36 1/2. Both teams will look to continue to rise in the NCAA College Football Standings and earn a berth in the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

Find details on upcoming games and take part in College Football Betting at BetUS Sportsbook.

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