Week 11 -- Rinse, repeat, defeat

IOWA CITY -- The similarities have progressed from head scratching to face palm and now to full hair pulling.

The Hawkeyes defense allowed a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive. The offense failed to execute in the two-minute drill. And Iowa took another gut punch of a defeat.

Rinse, repeat.

This time, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor ignited the No. 8 Buckeyes with a 14-yard gain on a fourth-and-10, leading to running back Dan Herron's 1-yard TD with 1:47 left in the game. Iowa's response was a fizzle of a bottle rocket, basically the exact opposite of the sonic boom fly-over during the national anthem.

The Buckeyes (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) ran out the final minute and ran the No. 21 Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-3) into season-salvage mode, 20-17, before 70,585 fans at Kinnick Stadium.

This week, Ohio State plays for a piece of the Big Ten title and a BCS bowl bid. Here's what it's down to for the Hawkeyes. They'll play to avoid their first three-loss November since 2006.

There are bowl implications, from the Outback to the Gator to the Insight. There is the positivity of the possibility of eight wins over seven. There really is little else.

"Losing is frustrating and losing close games is frustrating," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.

The magic Iowa rode in 2009 has vanished. Last season, the Hawkeyes were 4-2 in games decided by less than a touchdown. This season, they're 1-4 with all four going defense allows a TD, offense sputters in two-minute drill.

Rinse, repeat.

"I don't know, I was just picking my teeth off the ground," Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi said on his view of Iowa's final play. "I don't remember."

First down went incomplete with running back Adam Robinson taking a shot and staggering off the field. Ferentz said he's likely out next week. Second down, Stanzi threw incomplete on Iowa's sideline. Third down, Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward sacked Stanzi for 11 yards. Fourth-and-21, Stanzi hit wide receiver Marvin McNutt for a 19-yard gain.

Ohio State/Arizona/Wisconsin/Northwestern drives the ball for a late TD. Ohio State/Arizona/Wisconsin/Northwestern completely ground Iowa's two-minute offense.

"Definitely frustrating," said Stanzi, who completed 20 of 31 for 195 yards and a TD. "You want to be able to put together a two-minute drive. I've gotten so many tries and for whatever reason, I haven't been able to answer. That's on me."

Conversely, for the defense.

"A lot of close games, a lot of close losses," defensive end Christian Ballard said. "We have to keep competing."

Pryor didn't put up big numbers, completing 18 of 33 for 195 yards, a TD and two inteceptions. He led the Buckeyes with 78 rushing yards. But forget the numbers, Pryor led the Buckeyes to victory.

Pryor took over Ohio State's final drive. On fourth-and-10 from the 50, he made some magic happen, rolling right, drawing a rush and then bailing out the backside of the play for 14 yards and a first down.

"Not many guys in the country can go from there and reverse around or break contain like he did," Ferentz said. "He's done it before. It's just tough to defend. It's a pretty freakish play."

Then, on first down from Iowa's 26, Pryor audibled to a pass and hit wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher for a 24-yard play to Iowa's 2. Two plays later, Herron gave the Buckeyes a 20-17 lead.

"Our guys don't panic," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "They believe and they keep fighting. We felt like it was going to be a four-quarter heavyweight bout."

It was that. Iowa took a 7-0 lead when Stanzi beat a blitz and hit McNutt for a 19-yard score. Iowa led 7-3 at halftime, but the Buckeyes took a 10-7 lead on Pryor's 5-yard pass to tight end Reid Fragel. Iowa tied it on Mike Meyer's 31-yard field goal. Meyer missed a 40-yarder wide left in the first half.

Iowa surged ahead early in the fourth. Linebacker James Morris covered Sanzenbacher and tipped a pass to cornerback Shaun Prater to set up Iowa at OSU's 27. Freshman running back Marcus Coker, who started the first quarter while Robinson sat out for academic reasons, went 26 yards and 1 yard for a 17-10 lead.

Coker finished with 70 yards on nine carries. Robinson might be finished for the season.

OSU kicker Devin Barclay drilled a career-long 48 yarder and then the Pryor play.

Rinse, repeat.

"Every loss has been basically the same way," Stanzi said.

Arizona, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Ohio State. Foles, Tolzien, Persa, Pryor.

Head scratcher, face palm, hair pull.

"Definitely a sense of frustration," McNutt said. "You definitely just want to go out and play the game over again, that type of thing."

Rinse, repeat, defeat.