One of the key moments in Ohio State's 55-24 loss to Iowa came in the second quarter, when defensive lineman Nick Bosa was ejected for targeting.
With the score tied at 17, Bosa hit Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley in the head with his own helmet, forcing an errant throw on third down. The officials called Bosa for roughing the passer with targeting, which was upheld after a booth review.
Stanley found tight end Noah Fant for a 25-yard score on the ensuing play, and Ohio State was outscored 38-7 following Bosa's ejection.
"It kind of effects the game, but you have have the mantra of, 'competitive excellence,'" Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis said. "Somebody goes out, or somebody goes down, it's the next man up."
The hit did not take Stanley to the ground, and the Iowa signal-caller said after the game that he was surprised a flag was thrown for the contact.
"Obviously, the refs have a really tough job in the course of the game," Stanley said, according to Land of 10's Austin Ward. "I didn’t really notice it at all I guess. I thought it was another football play.
"The refs had a tough job and something they are always looking for is safety, especially when it comes to helmet-to-helmet contact."
Because the ejection occurred in the first half, Bosa is eligible to return to action for the start of the game against Michigan State next week.
Knox, Jones Return From Injuries
Ohio State offensive linemen Jamarco Jones and Demetrius Knox both went down with apparent leg injuries on back-to-back plays in the second quarter.
The Buckeyes replaced Jones at left tackle with Joshua Alabi, and Matthew Burrell replaced Knox at right guard, before both starters were eventually able to return to action.
While Jones was out, however, Barrett was sacked by Iowa linebacker Ben Niemann and subsequently fumbled. Alabi was able to pounce on the loose ball for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes were ultimately forced to punt after the lost yardage.
Kickoffs Improve
After a week in which Urban Meyer said he spent additional time tending to Ohio State's struggling kickoff unit, the Buckeyes showed improvement on special teams.
The Hawkeyes averaged just 15 yards per kickoff return against the Buckeyes on Saturday, and Blake Haubeil even recorded a touchback following Ohio State's first touchdown of the day.
Demoted from kickoff duties, Sean Nuernberger was still able to execute his only field goal attempt of the day, a 27-yarder in the first quarter.
On its own kick return unit, Ohio State showed a new wrinkle that had running back Mike Weber returning kickoffs with Parris Campbell back in Columbus with an injury. The Buckeye running back returned six kicks, averaging 17 yards per return, with a long of 21.
Barrett Throws Career-Worst Four INTs
In the week following perhaps his best game as Ohio State's quarterback, J.T. Barrett struggled against the Hawkeyes.
Barrett threw four interceptions against Iowa, setting a new career-high, breaking his previous high of three in a 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech in 2014.
The redshirt senior quarterback did add three scores through the air, including two to senior wide receiver Johnnie Dixon, who now leads the team in touchdown receptions with eight on just 17 catches this season.
