Iowa has had barely enough time to enjoy one of its wildest wins of the season. The Hawkeyes walked out of Michigan Stadium last week after Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee for a last-second touchdown, stealing a 20-19 win over the Wolverines. Now, Kirk Ferentz and Co. are heading into Saturday’s showdown with No. 5 Ohio State riding a serious wave of momentum. And this will not be a light matchup.

Fans probably did not expect this kind of déjà vu. Same teams, same Kinnick Stadium, same Iowa coach, and another top-five Ohio State team walking back into the place where the Buckeyes got embarrassed 55-24 in 2017. It is Ohio State’s first trip back to Kinnick since that loss, but the equation is hardly the same. Iowa enters 4-0 and ranked No. 14, while Ryan Day is now running the Buckeyes. And Ferentz is not pretending that history gives Iowa any kind of head start. He spent part of the week making that clear.

“They’re always prepared,” he said, via Eleven Warriors. “They’re talented but they’re well coached and well prepared and don’t beat themselves very often. That’s pretty much been the case since he’s taken over. He’s done a phenomenal job… He’s just an excellent coach, great person, excellent coach.”

And the numbers back Ferentz up. Ohio State has thrown for 1,461 yards and 13 touchdowns through four games, with Julian Sayin accounting for 1,206 yards and 10 scores while completing more than 72% of his passes. Iowa has taken a much less flashy route to 4-0. Hank Brown has 700 passing yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, and the Hawkeyes just survived Michigan despite being outgained 429-285.

That contrast is exactly why Ferentz’s praise matters. Coaches hype each other at press conferences, but he was not just complimenting an upcoming opponent. He was describing the trait that can make a team especially annoying to play. Iowa knows what happens when Ohio State gets rolling, and Michigan just gave the Hawkeyes a pretty good preview of what is coming.

Kirk Ferentz was also asked whether the physical battle against Michigan could prepare his team for Ohio State. His answer was yes, because Iowa just got a taste of the Big Ten heavyweight stuff.

“At least we know what it’s like,” he said. “They’re different, but they’re the same. They’re very similar teams and they’re really talented. They’ve got good size. They’re built differently, if that makes any sense. You can tell what Ohio State’s goal is and you know they’re just really big on both lines.”

That is where the Michigan win matters beyond the final score. Iowa just went through a physical four-quarter fight against one Big Ten heavyweight, and Ferentz knows there is barely any time to enjoy it before another one shows up.

“You play a game like that last week where it was really pretty intensely physical and you turn around, you got one more like it the same way,” Ferentz added. “So, and I imagine a week from now it won’t be much different either.”

Ohio State also brings far more than size. The Buckeyes are coming off a 42-19 win over Illinois in which Julian Sayin threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns, while Jeremiah Smith finished with 12 catches, 217 yards and four scores. Ferentz did not downplay Smith’s talent either, referencing players like Saquon Barkley and Randy Moss while discussing the kind of rare ability that can change a game.

That leaves Iowa with a much different challenge than simply surviving another physical game. The Hawkeyes have momentum, but Ohio State brings the kind of talent and discipline Ferentz says rarely gives opponents anything for free. After escaping Michigan at the buzzer, Iowa now has to prove that toughness can carry over against an even more dangerous opponent.