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The Ohio State football program does not like Cade McNamara. McNamara has already been a part of two huge wins over Ohio State during his collegiate career. One came as Michigan's starting QB in 2021 and the other as their backup in 2022. He is now Iowa's starting QB and will play against the Buckeyes for a third time in Columbus on Saturday.
However, the outcome of this game is likely to favor Ohio State. Iowa is a massive 18.5-point underdog against Ohio State and the Buckeyes are extra motivated to get revenge on McNamara.
“A veteran quarterback who has played a lot of football,” Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said of McNamara on Wednesday per On3. “Coming into an environment like this is something he’s used to. He’s playing good football right now and has made some really good throws this year. So, a veteran quarterback can go a long way in this conference, especially on the road.”
McNamara transferred from Michigan to Iowa last year, but only played in five games in 2023. He missed the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
Ohio State senior defensive end Jack Sawyer remembers McNamara well. He saw McNamara beat his Buckeyes in 2021, though Sawyer was not a big part of that game.
“He’s a different player now, obviously a lot more experienced,” Sawyer said. “But you can definitely look back and pick up a little bit from those previous games when he was with ‘The Team Up North.’ He’s also a different player now, in a different system. So it’s kind of hard to really pick something that’s going to be, really, exactly the same.”
Sawyer admitted that there's some extra motivation to beat McNamara, considering his history against the Ohio State football program.
“Maybe a little bit,” Sawyer said, chuckling. “Yeah, definitely.”
The Buckeyes will take on the Hawkeyes at 3:30PM ET on Saturday.
