Should Iowa football have just punted against Ohio State? One ESPN analyst thinks so
Ohio State football dominated Iowa last Saturday.
With an average starting field position of the 44.9-yard line, the Buckeyes averaged 5.8 yards per play against the Hawkeyes defense, scoring 54 points with only 360 yards of offense: Ohio State's lowest of the season and the lowest since its national championship loss to Alabama in 2020.
But could it have been better for Iowa if punter Tory Taylor would have punted on first down every drive for the Hawkeyes offense instead of of actually running the worst-ranked offense in college football?
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According to ESPN's Bill Connelly, the answer is yes.
"With a 40-yard net avg on each first-down punt, doing so would've created an extra 14.3 yards of field position for the Iowa D per drive," Connelly said on Twitter. "It would've taken a FG off the board, but it would've also taken off a pick six, so that's a net gain there too."
With a 40-yard net avg on each first-down punt, doing so would've created an extra 14.3 yards of field position for the Iowa D per drive. It would've taken a FG off the board, but it would've also taken off a pick six, so that's a net gain there too.https://t.co/Nj4IzIZVu3
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 25, 2022
Iowa's offense ran 59 plays Saturday against Ohio State's defense, recording 158 yards and averaging 2.7 yards per play with no offensive touchdowns, scoring 10 points overall. The Hawkeyes' average drive distance was 11.5 yards with a 20% third-down-and-punt percentage.
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Taylor punted five times for 205 yards against the Buckeyes, landing the ball inside of the 20-yard line once.
Ohio State has seen two of the Big Ten's top three punters in 2022
Through Ohio State's first seven games of the season, the Buckeyes have already seen two of the top three punters in the Big Ten.
Along with Taylor, who averages 45.6 yards per punt — third best in the conference — with 20 landing inside the 20-yard line, 15 of over 50+ yards and six touchbacks for Iowa, Ohio State saw the Big Ten's No. 1 punter Michigan State's Bryce Baringer.
For the Spartans, Baringer averages 51.4 yards on 30 punts this season, 16 of which have gone for more than 50 yards with 12 landing inside the 20-yard line with only three touchbacks.
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Against Ohio State, Baringer landed five of his nine punts inside of the 20-yard line, averaging 49.7 yards per kick.
Ohio State will still face two of the conference's top-five punters this season: Michigan's Brad Robbins and Maryland's Colton Spangler.
Despite only 21 punts this season, Ohio State's Jesse Mirco has the fifth-best punting average in the Big Ten, recording 44.9 yards per kick with only two touchbacks.
Ohio State football's 2022 schedule
Sept. 3: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10
Sept. 10: Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12
Sept. 17: Ohio State 77, Toledo 21
Sept. 24: Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21
Oct. 1: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10
Oct. 8: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 20
Oct. 22: Ohio State 54, Iowa 10
Oct. 29: Ohio State vs. Penn State, State College, Pa., noon
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ESPN analyst says Iowa football should have only punted vs. Ohio State
