Ohio State is back at the Horseshoe on Saturday, and the matchup on paper looks every bit like the kind of non-conference game the Buckeyes are supposed to handle. They entered the day as 52.5-point favorites against Kent State, which came in at 1-1 after losing to South Carolina in Week 1 and then beating Wofford last week.
The noon kickoff came with the Helmet Stripe theme filling the stadium, giving Ohio State fans their second look at the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium this season. And after the frustration of blowing a 20-point fourth-quarter lead in Austin, there was plenty for Ohio State to try to clean up while also getting a chance to settle in against a far less imposing opponent.
That didn’t mean there was nothing to watch. Ohio State still had questions to answer, including finding another pass-catcher beyond Jeremiah Smith, giving younger players more snaps and continuing to work through the issues that showed up against Texas.
Before kickoff, the Buckeyes had already made some lineup news. Starting defensive end Zion Grady and right tackle Phillip Daniels were ruled out after leaving the Texas loss early with injuries.
At the Kent State Skull Session, Payton Pierce helped set the tone by saying Ohio State is "pissed off, and we’re ready to go" while Ryan Day and Matt Guerrieri joined him in front of the crowd.
Once the game got rolling, Jeremiah Smith kept making history. With two catches for 36 yards on Ohio State’s first drive, he passed Michael Jenkins’s program record of 2,898 receiving yards to become the Buckeyes’ all-time leading receiver.
Ohio State kept stacking touchdowns after that. Ja'Kobi Jackson scored on an 11-yard run for his third straight week finding the end zone, then Isaiah West followed with a 4-yard touchdown run to push the Buckeyes to a 21-0 lead.
Julian Sayin also got in on the action, hitting Nate Roberts for a 26-yard touchdown.
There was one more development to watch: after one carry for no gain, Legend Bey limped off the field and went into the medical tent.
In Other News...
Ohio States Clutch Kicking Reputation Might Not Match The Full Story
Ohio States kicking history in tight games has long lived in the space between memory and myth, and the numbers since 2000 help explain why. The analysis breaks those attempts into money kicks, when the Buckeyes were tied or trailing by three or fewer, and clutch kicks, when they were protecting a one-score lead, giving a clearer picture of how often the pressure has really fallen on the leg of the kicker.
What stands out is that the Buckeyes have actually done better in those safer, late-game situations than in the true win-or-lose moments, where the makes have come at just over half the rate. The ledger includes both painful misses and big answers, along with Mike Nugents 55-yard walk-off winner in 2004, a reminder that the programs late-kick reputation has always been shaped by a few unforgettable swings rather than a simple curse. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Just Gave Ohio State Fans More Reason To Hate Him
Oregon put up a program-record 84 points in its win over Portland State, a lopsided result that already had plenty of people talking before the final moments even became a talking point. With Ohio State set to see the Ducks again on Nov. 7, any chance to size up Dan Lannings team is going to get extra attention in Columbus, especially with the recent history between the programs.
What drew the loudest reaction was Lannings choice late in the game, when Oregon kept pushing instead of simply letting the clock run out. That kind of decision tends to linger when two high-profile teams are on a collision course, and for Buckeye fans, it only adds another layer to a matchup that already figures to carry plenty of edge. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Needs More Than A Win To Calm Growing Doubts
Ohio State heads into its matchup with Kent State looking for more than the kind of routine win that should come with being heavily favored. After a rough stretch that sent the staff into a deeper internal review of both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes are using this week to get back to basics, with particular emphasis on getting the running game moving and settling an offense that has not looked as sharp as expected.
The bigger concern, though, is whether this can be more than a tune-up. The coaching staff still has pressure to show the team can respond cleanly after last weeks collapse, and the line figures to look different because of an injury, which only adds to the sense that this is a reset game for a group trying to steady itself before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]