IOWA CITY - The preseason is over for Iowa's football team.

The Big Ten Conference season opens at Ohio State Saturday, and Kirk Ferentz said that is a special time for his players.

The question: Are the Hawkeyes ready to play a Top 10 opponent after a 2-1 preseason that didn't exactly have Ferentz dancing on the sidelines?

"We're working on cleaning up our mistakes, things we are not doing well," he said. "At the same time, we are trying to prepare for a very, very talented, very experienced Ohio State team. This is a heck of a start."

Playing at Ohio State is a tough assignment any time, but the Hawkeyes aren't going into the 11:05 a.m. kickoff as a well-oiled machine many fans had hoped for.

"What we really need to worry about is us," said Ferentz. "We've got to worry about shoring up our weaknesses, our problem areas and we have plenty of them.

"We have to try to match up against what they do, but no matter how we match up, if we are not executing where everybody is in sync with each other, it is not going to work. It doesn't matter unless everyone is on the same page and ready to carry their end of the bargain."

That's been the problem for Iowa so far. Individual breakdowns here and there have been costly at times. Against Iowa State, they were fatal.

The mistakes haven't just been limited to the newcomers in the lineup, either.

"We have had older guys make mistakes, too," Ferentz said. "All of us have made mistakes and that is the thing we have to improve. We all have to be a little more cohesive."

Last year, Iowa sent the Buckeyes home with a 33-7 bruise on their record, and while most of the Ohio State players are the same as a year ago, it is not the same team, Ferentz said.

"That game to me was one you throw out," said Ferentz. "We caught them at the right time. They had some weaknesses last year early in the season. The thing that was real apparent, like our team, they got a lot better after that ballgame.

"The two teams were kind of looking in a mirror a little bit last year. It just worked out for us, sometimes that happens."

Iowa has also shown a lot of good signs this year.

"I don't know how happy we are, but at times we've hit some pretty good runs and we've executed and done some things very clean in the running game," he said. "The bottom line is, when we execute cleanly, running or passing, we have a chance to move the football. We can do that, but the challenge right now is cleaning things up on a consistent basis. That's an on-going process, but at least there is some evidence there that we can do some things in both phases."

Iowa's record entering the Big Ten season this year is not out of line with many others under Ferentz.

Iowa's best season n 2002 n included a loss to Iowa State, and last year there was the meltdown at Arizona State. Ferentz said this year's team practices like most of the others he has had.

"The challenge now is, do we pick it up, do we learn as we go along," he said. "Fortunately, the last four years we have been a team that improved each and every week and that's really where our focus is.

"It sounds really mundane and generic and all of that stuff, but that is really the challenge that is ahead of us. Our best year, 2002, we weren't exactly a ball of fire the first month. It took a while to get it down, and that's what we've got to do now. We've got to push forward."

INJURIES: Only defensive back Chris Brevi remains out, but could return to the practice field anytime. David Walker practiced all last week and actually played three snaps against Northern Iowa on the offensive line.

RUNNING IT UP: Ferentz's style has never been to run up the score or embarrass an opponent. He was asked what he thought about Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and his players talking about scoring 100 points against Indiana State this week.

"You know, they have a fast-break offense and that is how they are built," said Ferentz. "I suppose they try to do it against everyone. Everyone has their own way of approaching things. I guess that is all I would say on that one."

A BAKER?: Iowa is making a strong effort to recruit in Ohio this year and Ferentz was asked if he made some connections in that state during his time with the Cleveland Browns.

"No, not at all, I was traveling in different circles then," he said. "When you are a pro coach, you might as well be living on the moon or somewhere else. You know your neighbors … kind of. My neighbor in Baltimore asked my wife one time if I was a baker."

THE STADIUM? Iowa has not had much luck winning at Ohio State. In fact, the last Iowa victory came in 1991 (16-9).

"There has been a pretty good constant over there since probably the 1950s, maybe the 1940s," said Ferentz. "The No. 1 factor is they usually have a pretty good football team, so when you show up, they usually have a good team waiting for you and you are normally the underdog. That is a pretty good head start."

Contact Kevin Evans at (319) 291-1469 or kevin.evans@wcfcourier.com