NOTEBOOK | Ohio State vs. Iowa

Series: The Buckeyes lead the series, 43-14-3, with 27 of those wins coming in Columbus.
Mahoning Valley ties: Buckeyes starting left tackle Doug Datish, a junior, is a Howland High graduate. Other Buckeyes from the Mahoning Valley are freshman tailback Shaun Lane (Hubbard), sophomore defensive back Michael Dougherty (Boardman) and sophomore long snapper Dimitrios Makridis (Warren Harding). Coach Jim Tressel has a 43-12 record in his five seasons at Ohio State and is 16-6 against ranked teams.Streaks: The Buckeyes have won 24 of their past 26 home games. The losses were to Wisconsin in 2004 and Texas on Sept. 10.Home-field advantage: Linebacker Bobby Carpenter said the Ohio State fans made a difference. "It's tough coming into a hostile environment," Carpenter said. "Our fans did a great job -- they were on their feet most of the game and they stayed until the end."First time in 29 years: Tailback Antonio Pittman rushed for 171 yards and quarterback Troy Smith ran for 127. That's the first time two Buckeyes have rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game since 1976 when quarterback Rod Gerald (104 yards) and running back Jeff Logan (112) did it. It was the eighth time the Buckeyes have had a quarterback and running back each top 100 yards.Good record: Smith is 6-1 as a starter. "I thought he made good decisions," Tressel said of Smith. "For the most part, we were throwing to our primary read side and he may have been using his eyes to trick the defense." Smith said seeing his defenders excel against Iowa "motivates us. They come out every Saturday and play smashmouth football. "They are going to hit [opponents] in the mouth whether they like it or not."Leading receivers: Anthony Gonzalez caught six passes for 90 yards, including two touchdowns. "Smith had all day to throw," Gonzalez said. "We got it done up front and controlled our passing game. This is what an offense is supposed to look like and what the defense is supposed to look like. This was a total team performance -- a whole team win." Santonio Holmes caught five for 95 yards while Ted Ginn had three receptions for 31 yards.Road warriors: The Buckeyes will spend most of their October weekends on the road, beginning with a visit to Penn State on Oct. 8 for an evening game. After playing at home against Michigan State on Oct. 15 at noon, the Buckeyes travel to Indiana on Oct. 22 and Minnesota on Oct. 29. The game against the Gophers will begin at either noon or 3:30 p.m.
Mahoning Valley ties: Buckeyes starting left tackle Doug Datish, a junior, is a Howland High graduate. Other Buckeyes from the Mahoning Valley are freshman tailback Shaun Lane (Hubbard), sophomore defensive back Michael Dougherty (Boardman) and sophomore long snapper Dimitrios Makridis (Warren Harding). Coach Jim Tressel has a 43-12 record in his five seasons at Ohio State and is 16-6 against ranked teams.Streaks: The Buckeyes have won 24 of their past 26 home games. The losses were to Wisconsin in 2004 and Texas on Sept. 10.Home-field advantage: Linebacker Bobby Carpenter said the Ohio State fans made a difference. "It's tough coming into a hostile environment," Carpenter said. "Our fans did a great job -- they were on their feet most of the game and they stayed until the end."First time in 29 years: Tailback Antonio Pittman rushed for 171 yards and quarterback Troy Smith ran for 127. That's the first time two Buckeyes have rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game since 1976 when quarterback Rod Gerald (104 yards) and running back Jeff Logan (112) did it. It was the eighth time the Buckeyes have had a quarterback and running back each top 100 yards.Good record: Smith is 6-1 as a starter. "I thought he made good decisions," Tressel said of Smith. "For the most part, we were throwing to our primary read side and he may have been using his eyes to trick the defense." Smith said seeing his defenders excel against Iowa "motivates us. They come out every Saturday and play smashmouth football. "They are going to hit [opponents] in the mouth whether they like it or not."Leading receivers: Anthony Gonzalez caught six passes for 90 yards, including two touchdowns. "Smith had all day to throw," Gonzalez said. "We got it done up front and controlled our passing game. This is what an offense is supposed to look like and what the defense is supposed to look like. This was a total team performance -- a whole team win." Santonio Holmes caught five for 95 yards while Ted Ginn had three receptions for 31 yards.Road warriors: The Buckeyes will spend most of their October weekends on the road, beginning with a visit to Penn State on Oct. 8 for an evening game. After playing at home against Michigan State on Oct. 15 at noon, the Buckeyes travel to Indiana on Oct. 22 and Minnesota on Oct. 29. The game against the Gophers will begin at either noon or 3:30 p.m.