COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After his team blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead at Texas, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said the Buckeyes would have to find a way to "get some momentum again."
Two wins later, Saturday at No. 14 Iowa offers a chance to do just that.
"This is a big opportunity for our team, to go into a tough road environment against a very good team and go get a win," Day said Tuesday. "That certainly would build a lot of momentum for our season as we move forward."
The last two weeks, the fifth-ranked Buckeyes have rolled, smashing Kent State and Illinois by a combined 79 points.
But traveling to Iowa City to face the undefeated Hawkeyes will provide Ohio State with its biggest test since Texas.
On Saturday, Iowa defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor on the final snap of the game. Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee with a back-shoulder, 16-yard touchdown pass, lifting Iowa to a stunning 20-19 victory.
Day said he enjoyed watching that ending, with Ohio State's biggest rival losing that way. But he also said he came away impressed with Iowa's resolve.
"This is a tough-minded group of players and coaches, you've got to give them a lot of credit going on the road and winning like that," Day said. "They're going to have a lot of confidence going in this game, especially coming off of that win."
The Iowa game marks the start of a potentially defining stretch for the Buckeyes.
On Oct. 17, Ohio State travels to Bloomington to face defending national champion Indiana. The Hoosiers defeated the Buckeyes last year in the Big Ten championship game.
Ohio State then goes to No. 18 USC on Oct. 31, followed by a showdown at the Horseshoe against No. 15 Oregon.
But Day said he has more trust in his team, especially his younger players, heading into Iowa than he did at Texas.
"We're in a different place than we were going into Week 2 with a lot of guys," Day said. "They are guys that have built up enough trust that we feel like we need to take the next step with them."