The Buckeyes were never seriously threatened in posting a 56-35 win. Ohio State scored 56 unanswered points in the first half before heading to the locker room with a 56-7 halftime lead. Iowa scored on the last play of the half on a controversial fumble. The Buckeyes racked up 396 yards in the first half, total offense, scoring a touchdown on seven of their eight possessions. Eddie George had 4 TDs and Terry Glenn added two more.

The second half saw both the Iowa offense and defense get on track as the Hawkeyes outscored Ohio State 28-0 against their backups. The running game of Sedrick Shaw, combined with the passing attack of Matt Sherman, guided Iowa to 283 second-half yards. The Hawkeye defense, which shut out Ohio State in the second half, was led by defensive back Damien Robinson with nine tackles and one interception.