Fun Facts: Buckeyes-Hawkeyes

Ohio State and Iowa. Neither team scored a point in last season's College Football Playoff semifinals, but at least the Hawkeyes had an excuse. They weren't in the CFP semis.

Here are more OSU-Iowa Fun Facts:

1. This will be the first time the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes have met since 2013, and the first time they've met at Kinnick Stadium since 2010. Ohio State won't be back in Iowa City until 2022 at the soonest.

2. Ohio State is second in the nation in scoring offense with 46.3 points per game. Iowa is 12th nationally in scoring defense with 17.4 points allowed per game.

3. Iowa has won three of its last four home games against top-five teams, beating No. 3 Penn State in 2007, No. 5 Michigan State in 2010, and No. 2 Michigan last year. Ohio State beat a top-five team (Penn State) last Saturday.

4. Iowa has eight wins over teams from Ohio since 2001. Four were against Miami (Ohio), two against Kent State, one each against Akron and Ohio State.

5. This will be the sixth-straight time the Buckeyes were in the top 10 and the 14th-consecutive time they were ranked when they played Iowa.

6. Iowa's Josh Jackson leads the nation in passes defended with 17 (15 breakups, 2 interceptions).

7. Ohio State's J.T. Barrett is third in the nation in touchdown passes, passing efficiency, and points responsible.

8. Barrett is a nine-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honoree, tied with Wisconsin's Ron Dayne and Michigan's Denard Robinson for the most ever.

9. Iowa has two starting offensive linemen (James Daniels of Warren, Sean Welsh of Springboro) who played high school football in Ohio. The Buckeyes have one (Billy Price of Austinville).

10. Daniels' father, LeShun Daniels Sr., was an offensive lineman at Ohio State.

11. OSU starting offensive guard Michael Jordan started all 13 games for the Buckeyes last year as a true freshman. He was the first true freshman to start on OSU's offensive line since Orlando Pace in 1994. He wasn't named for the famous basketball player. His father's name is K. Michael Jordan.

12. The Buckeyes have allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns. Only Hawaii, Miami (Ohio) and North Texas have surrendered as many.

13. Iowa defensive coaches Phil Parker and Reese Morgan grew up in Lorain, Ohio. Both are in the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame. Morgan was inducted in 2006, Parker in 2009.

14. Ohio State has had 16 top-100 NFL draft picks over the last two years. Michigan ranks second among Big Ten teams in that statistic, with six.

15. OSU offensive tackles Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince have 21 career starts apiece. Iowa tackles Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs have a combined 11 starts.

16. Bovada.lv has once-beaten Ohio State at 3-1 to win the national championship. Wisconsin, which is unbeaten, is 28-1.

17. Steve Levy, who will do the play-by-play of this game for ESPN, called the three longest televised National Hockey League playoff games. They were between 1996 and 2003. Two went five overtimes, the other four OTs.

18. The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes are the only FBS teams whose nickname end in 'Eyes.' The ECHL (a pro hockey minor league) has a team in Ohio called the Toledo Walleye.

18. Columbus Junction, Iowa, is 36 miles from Iowa City. Columbus Junction was the home of Gottfreid Kern, a harness-maker who established a business there in 1876. According to this report, Kern's 'obliging manner and honesty of purpose have won for him the entire confidence of his patrons.'

19. Buckeye, Iowa, is in Hardin County. Its population is 112. Buckeye is 14 miles from Iowa Falls. The Hawkeyes hope 'Iowa Falls' won't be the headline in next Sunday morning's Gazette sports section.