OXFORD, Ohio — The cradle of coaches is really rocking. The school known for producing such coaching luminaries as Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian and Bo Schembechler is agog over Iowa's visit this weekend.

        No Big Ten team has ever visited Oxford in Miami University's 114 years of football. That alone makes Saturday's game a little footnote in RedHawks history.

        “It's important that your fans appreciate you for who you are, but regardless of the sport, it's also who you play,” coach Terry Hoeppner said. “When the Yankees come to town, it's a big deal. The Hawkeyes are coming to town, and it's a big deal.”

        It will be a huge deal if Miami (1-0) can hold off a team that has most of the advantages. The RedHawks visited Iowa City last season and got beat, 44-19.

        The big question is whether Hawkeyes players will come to town expecting another easy time.

        “If they take this lightly, they are flat-out dumb,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We're talking about a place that is going to be packed, very emotional.”

        Iowa (1-0) hasn't played in a mid-major conference stadium since 1996, and still hasn't gotten over the bitter result. The Hawkeyes flew to Tulsa the day of the game — how's that for overconfidence? — and got beat 27-20.

        The Hawkeyes won't make that mistake again. They were scheduled to arrive in southwest Ohio the day before they play Miami.

        After last season, the Hawkeyes shouldn't feel smug about playing anyone on the road. They went 1-4 away from home, with their only victory at Northwestern.

        They opened this season with a 57-21 win over Akron in Iowa City last Saturday. The Hawkeyes scored a school-record 37 points in the first quarter and had 593 yards overall as they improved to 10-1 against Mid-American Conference teams.

        Now, they get to play a MAC team on the road.

        “We're going to have to play on the road in the Big Ten, so there is no time like the present to get started on that,” Ferentz said. “That is one of our goals, to get it done on the road. This is as good a time as any.”

        Miami forced nine turnovers in a season-opening 27-21 victory at North Carolina, then started the buildup for its most eagerly awaited game of the season. The RedHawks will debut new red uniforms Saturday in their 30,000-seat stadium.

        “Hopefully we'll give them a rousing welcome,” Hoeppner said. “Our students are pretty enthusiastic.”

        In their game last season, the RedHawks managed only 26 yards in the first half as Iowa pulled ahead 24-0. It was 44-0 before Miami scored late in the game.

        Ben Roethlisberger, who passed for more yards and touchdowns than any other freshman last season, was sacked five times in one of his worst games — 9-of-18 for 173 yards with two interceptions.

        Three of his top receivers are back, and Roethlisberger showed more poise as the RedHawks won in the rain at North Carolina. He'll need a big game for any chance of that upset.

        “I've been saying his greatest improvement will be in the level of maturity, in his understanding of what we want to do on offense and what opponents are trying to do to us,” Hoeppner said. “That showed.”

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