What if the OSU OC changes up the game plan to more of a "grind it out" approach? Shorter passes, limit 3rd and longs, run the ball a bit more, and simply run clock a bit? You still score, more slowly, and then get the ball back fairly quickly and repeat. Maybe it ends up more like 42-6?
I doubt it if for no other reason than time.
If you are grinding it out you are probably taking at least five minutes per drive. 5x6=30 and 6x7=42 so even if you manage to score a TD on EVERY possession you'll burn half the game to score 42 points.
If they take say 7 minutes to score, and get the ball back 2 minutes later, they could get into the 40s. They can stretch the defense with some long patterns to open shorter crossing routes and might hit some 20 yarders.
I think you are underestimating Iowa's time of possession here (more on that later) but even if you aren't this means that each set of possessions takes nine minutes. So let's say tOSU receives the opening kick and kicks off in the second half.
First half:
- tOSU starts with 30 to go
- tOSU starts with 21 to go
- tOSU starts with 12 to go
- tOSU starts with 3 to go, not enough time to score
Second half:
- tOSU starts with 28 to go
- tOSU starts with 19 to go
- tOSU starts with 10 to go
- tOSU gets the ball with one minute remaining.
So Ohio State only gets six relevant possessions because 3 minutes at the end of the first half isn't enough (maybe a FG as time expires or a few deep shots in the closing seconds) and tOSU wouldn't even be trying to score up 42-6 (your example) with one minute left.
So to get to 42 this way the Buckeyes would have to score a TD on EVERY possession.
I think that you two minute estimate for Iowa's possessions is far too low. Against the Wolverines Iowa had 10 possessions but one was 0:09 at the end of the first half. On the other nine they had about 26 minutes TOP which is a lot closer to three minutes each.
If we rerun the above time thing but with each set of possessions taking 10 minutes that cuts tOSU down to exactly six chances so they only score 42 points if the get a TD literally every time they touch the ball. Grind out games don't work that way. There will be punts and FG's.
Assuming zero big plays, I think that 1/3 TD's, 1/3 FG's, and 1/3 punts would be a pretty good afternoon and that would be about 20 points.
