NOTEBOOK | From Ohio Stadium

Hard hitting: Before Michael Jenkins returned a punt 52 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, sophomore free safety Nate Salley made the key third-down stop. Salley jarred the ball away from receiver Erik Jensen with a ferocious hit. The Hawkeyes punted, and Jenkins did the rest.
Replacement: Sophomore Bobby Carpenter started at linebacker for Ohio State in place of senior Robert Reynolds. The Buckeyes suspended Reynolds for the game after he gouged the neck of Wisconsin quarterback Jim Sorgi in last week's game. Carpenter finished with two tackles against Iowa.
Recovery: With under a minute to play in the third quarter, Iowa junior running back Jermelle Lewis carried for the first time this season. Lewis underwent knee surgery at the end of spring practice and recovered enough to return Saturday. The Buckeyes dropped him for a 2-yard loss. He finished with two carries for minus-4 yards.
No advantage: Iowa lost two fumbles in the third quarter on the quarterback-center exchange (Fred Pagac Jr. and Tim Anderson recovered), but Ohio State couldn't convert those turnovers into points. On possessions following the fumbles, the Buckeyes punted and then misfired on Mike Nugent's 47-yard field goal attempt, when holder B.J. Sander grabbed a high snap and then struggled to place the ball.
Breaking out: Ohio State senior tight end Ben Hartsock, a Chillicothe native, is having his best year as a receiver. He had five receptions last week against Wisconsin and two for 17 yards Saturday against Iowa to boost his season total to 21. Hartsock came into the season with 25 career receptions.
Streaks and stats: Before Saturday's game, Ohio State and Iowa hadn't played since the 2000 season, a 38-10 Buckeyes victory in Iowa City. Ohio State has dominated the 81-year-old series between the schools, holding a 43-12-3 advantage. Iowa hasn't beaten Ohio State since the 1991 season, 16-9, in Columbus. The Buckeyes also are strong at home, where they hold a 27-7-1 record against Iowa. This season, they are at 6-0 at Ohio Stadium, running their winning streak here to 14 straight.
Pennsylvania roots: Although Iowa is without any Ohio natives on its roster, the Hawkeyes do have three players from Erie, Pa. Bob Sanders (Cathedral Prep) is a senior defensive back, Ed Hinkel (Cathedral Prep) is a sophomore wide receiver and Jovon Johnson (Mercyhurst Prep) is a sophomore defensive back.
Big Ten representation: Of the conference's 11 schools, six found themselves among the nation's top 20 in the Associated Press poll entering weekend play. Ohio State led the pack at No. 8, followed by Iowa (No. 9), Purdue (No. 13), Wisconsin (No. 14), Michigan State (No. 15) and Michigan (No. 17). Of interest to Buckeye fans, Wisconsin lost in the waning seconds to Purdue. The Badgers broke Ohio State's 19-game winning streak last week.
Next up: Ohio State goes back on the road the next two weeks with Big Ten games against Indiana and Penn State. Both opponents entered play this weekend winless in the conference.
-- Brian Richesson