ESPN Writer Claims Ohio State's 28-Point Win Over Iowa 'Had To Feel Like A Loss' In Wild Recap

The Ohio State - Iowa game on Saturday was never in question as the Buckeyes dominated the Hawkeyes 35-7, but according to one ESPN writer, the blowout win had to "feel like a loss" for the undefeated Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes out gained the Hawkeyes 412 yards to 226 yards, forced three turnovers, and controlled the clock while quarterback Will Howard threw for four touchdowns and just four incomplete passes in his team's win.

Sure, Ohio State may have carried just a 7-0 lead into halftime, but when it's all said and done, a 28-point victory is a dominant one no matter how you look at it.

ESPN's David Hale doesn't see it that way. He didn't even take issue with the Buckeyes' one-score lead at the break, either, but instead focused on the fact that Iowa's lone touchdown in the fourth quarter was the problem.

"[Ohio State] had little trouble swatting away Iowa 35-7. Still, it had to feel like a loss for the Buckeyes, who are the first ranked team to allow points to Iowa's offense since Michigan surrendered two touchdowns in a win over the Hawkeyes in Week 5 of 2022," Hale wrote.

Ohio State dominated Iowa, but maybe not badly enough according to one ESPN writer. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)

Hale pointing out the nugget about Iowa finally scoring on a ranked team for the first time in two years is interesting, but his note about that making it feel like a loss for Ohio State is outrageous. 

In any other circumstance and on any other website we would take Hale's jab at the Buckeyes as sarcasm, but when is the last time the four-letter network let an ounce of sarcasm into a piece of its written content?

If it is sarcasm, kudos to Hale for sneaking one past the editors, but if it isn't, let it be the most-recent example of ESPN being completely out of touch with reality.