By John Bohnenkamp

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa cornerback Jaylen Watson knows he’s going to be tested in Saturday’s game against Ohio State, just like Michigan tested him last week.

That’s fine, Watson said.

“I love the challenge,” Watson said on Tuesday. “I love when guys try to pick on me. I’m not going to be the weak link of the defense. So I love it when guys try to come my way.”

Watson had three pass breakups in the 20-19 win over the Wolverines last week. But Watson knew there were some plays he should have made.

“I let a couple of explosive plays go by just because of my footwork, body leverage, not being able to come down and finish a play and make a simple tackle,” he said. “Simple plays aren’t always so simple, so I’ve got to clean it up.”

Iowa’s defense gave up 130 receiving yards to JJ Buchanan and 106 receiving yards to Andrew Marsh last week. It was a good test, Watson said, for what the Hawkeyes will see this weekend.

Ohio State, which averages 45 points per game, is second in the nation in passing offense. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith leads the nation in receiving touchdowns (7), receiving yards (617) and receiving yards per game (154.3), while ranking fourth in receptions per game (8.25).

Michigan’s passing attack often came toward where Watson was last week, and he’s expecting that again this week.

“I got a lot of balls thrown my way,” he said. “That’s fine — I needed it. With Deshaun Lee on the opposite side of me, I knew that was going to come. Even this Saturday, I know it’s going to come, too. I have to be better and make plays for my team.”

It’s a challenge that Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is expecting.

“It’s hard,” Ferentz said. “We have to work on our technique, and I’ll go back to what I was saying a little while ago — sometimes you can have (Smith) perfectly defended and he’ll still make a play. That’s what great players (do) — that’s what puts him in a really separate category.”

It’s why Watson knows that he, and the rest of Iowa’s secondary, will have to have a short memory, something he thought he used well against Michigan.

“As DBs, we know everything isn’t going to go our way,” he said. “We’re going to be beat, there are going to be plays we didn’t do well. But stay in the fight, keep my head up, keep battling no matter who I’m guarding or which way the game is going. I was able to keep battling (against Michigan), keep focused.”

Watson was not just a defensive back, but also a wide receiver in high school, when he led his team in receiving yards as a senior.

“I honestly know the mindset of the receiver,” he said. “I know what he’s trying to think. I look at myself on tape, how I would play as a receiver. You want to be physical, you want to win jump balls. I’m on the smaller end, teams want to be physical with me. Teams want to be physical, want to win jump balls, but you know me. I’m not going to let that happen.”