No. 5 Ohio State visits No. 14 Iowa on Saturday, October 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, with ESPN’s College GameDay in Iowa City for the biggest game at Kinnick Stadium in years. Iowa is 4 and 0 after beating Michigan on a last second touchdown, and Ohio State brings the Heisman favorite, receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Odds and Spread
Ohio State -14 | total 45.5
| Sportsbook | Ohio State spread | Iowa spread | Total | Ohio State ML | Iowa ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | -14 (-105) | +14 (-115) | 45.5 (-110) | -575 | +425 |
| BetMGM | -14 (-108) | +14 (-110) | 45.5 (-108) | -600 | +450 |
| FanDuel | -13.5 (-124) | +13.5 (+102) | 45.5 (-110) | -670 | +470 |
| BetRivers | -14 (-112) | +14 (-112) | 45 (-114) | -715 | +460 |
| Fanatics | -13.5 (-115) | +13.5 (-105) | 45.5 (-110) | -600 | +440 |
| Caesars | -14 (-107) | +14 (-113) | 45.5 (-113) | -590 | +450 |
Lines from BALLDONTLIE and refreshed automatically. Numbers move, so confirm at your sportsbook before betting.
Ohio State is favored by about two touchdowns on the road, but the total in the mid 40s tells the real story: the market expects Iowa’s defense and slow pace to keep this a lower scoring game than the spread might suggest. Big road favorites in Iowa City have a history of sweating late. Lines move on injury news, so check before kickoff.
Start Time, TV Channel and How to Watch
| Date | Saturday, October 3, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT |
| TV | CBS |
| Streaming | Paramount+ with CBS, or Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream |
| Rankings | Ohio State No. 5, Iowa No. 14 in the AP Top 25 |
| Stadium | Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa |
How Both Teams Got Here
Ohio State is 3 and 1, its only loss a 24 to 23 game at Texas in Week 2. Since then the Buckeyes have rolled, and Jeremiah Smith became the Heisman favorite with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 42 to 19 win over Illinois. Iowa is 4 and 0 under Kirk Ferentz and beat Michigan 20 to 19 in Ann Arbor on a touchdown in the final seconds, moving up three spots in the poll.
What to Watch
Smith against Iowa’s secondary is the headline, but the game will likely be decided by whether Iowa can control the clock and field position the way it did at Michigan. Iowa beat Ohio State 55 to 24 at Kinnick in 2017, the Hawkeyes’ last win in the series, and a loud afternoon in front of a GameDay crowd is exactly the setting where they have upset top teams before.
Related
Ohio State football score · Iowa football score · Heisman odds · AP Top 25 · Big Ten standings
The Bottom Line
No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa kicks off Saturday, October 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS from Kinnick Stadium, with College GameDay in town. Ohio State is about a 13.5 point favorite, and the total sits in the mid 40s. The odds table above updates automatically. Iowa’s full schedule is on HawkeyeSports.com.