Ohio State’s 59-3 win over Kent State in Week 3 looked like the kind of game television executives would rather forget, and FOX Sports broadcaster Gus Johnson sounded like he was trying to get through it just as fast.
Johnson was flat throughout much of the afternoon at the “Shoe,” and he also had a rough moment when he said Chris Henry Jr.’s 75-yard touchdown run was his first as a Buckeye. It wasn’t.
Henry had already scored his first against Ball State. That slip only added to the sense that the broadcast never really found its footing.
FOX isn’t exactly in the business of giving Kent State or the MAC the full spotlight, and that showed. The Golden Flashes are more often the kind of opponent viewers see on ESPN or CBS Sports, not the network’s marquee college football window. And in a game like this, the lack of energy on the call only magnified the mismatch on the field.
Cupcake games have long been a headache for TV people, and they’re the sort of matchup that would disappear in a perfect world built entirely around ratings and inventory. As Power 4 conferences continue to expand, there’s at least a path toward more conference games and fewer of these non-conference blowouts.
Programs like Indiana still schedule Group of Six and FCS opponents, but schools like Ohio State and TTUN have also been willing to take on tougher non-conference tests. There’s also the Super League idea floating around, and anyone who likes Ohio State-Texas-type games would probably welcome that direction.
A 24-team CFP could also push the sport toward more changes in how schedules are built. Anything that trims the number of Ohio State vs. Kent State-type games in the Big Noon Kickoff slot would probably be a win for FOX.
The atmosphere in Columbus didn’t do the broadcast any favors, either. Ohio State did what Ohio State does and rolled to a 56-point win, but the crowd still carried a strange uneasiness that came through on the telecast. That kind of setting doesn’t exactly make for must-watch television, especially in a week that already featured early-slot fireworks like Vanderbilt’s wild comeback against NC State.
The Buckeyes’ standard is the standard, and that’s what Saturday delivered on the field. But for television, games like this come with consequences.
College football is too big a business to lose sleep over one ratings hit, but if the sport keeps moving toward bigger matchups and fewer lopsided ones, FOX would almost certainly be happy to see more of that shift. Ohio State already did its part by playing Texas, even if it also keeps a commitment to the MAC that helps those programs financially.
Maybe FOX should spend a little more time looking at that side of the equation.
In Other News...
Ohio States Easy Win Couldnt Quiet One Big Concern
Ohio State handled Kent State 59-3 and put the game away early, taking a 35-0 lead into halftime and never letting the outcome feel in doubt. The Buckeyes still found enough balance to lean on the run, finishing with 145 rushing yards on 38 attempts, with Bo Jackson leading the way with 73 yards and a touchdown.
Even in a blowout, though, the ground game remains a point worth watching. Ohio States rushing offense is still inconsistent overall, sitting 79th nationally at just under 159 yards per game, and that leaves a gap between what this roster can be and what it has shown so far. The schedule will get less forgiving from here, and the Buckeyes will need more than a comfortable win to answer that concern. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got A Clear Warning About Illinois Saturday
Illinois followed its loss to Duke with a much cleaner performance against Southern Illinois, and the part that should have Ohio State paying attention is how much more settled the Illini looked at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line showed progress, the run defense was sturdier, and the overall operation came across as a team that had already made some useful corrections before the matchup in Columbus.
Katin Houser also gave Illinois a steadier passing game by spreading the ball around, which matters because it hints at a more functional offense than the one that stumbled a week earlier. The defense, meanwhile, flashed enough improvement against the run to suggest this is not a team the Buckeyes can afford to overlook, even if the bigger question still hangs over whether those adjustments travel against a much faster and more talented opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Offense Still Has A Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Ohio State took care of Kent State 59-3 and piled up 527 total yards, a comfortable afternoon by the scoreboard and another reminder of how dominant the Buckeyes have been against in-state opponents, extending that streak to 55 straight games. Julian Sayin had a productive line, completing 18 of 22 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, and Jeremiah Smith again flashed why he has become such a centerpiece of the offense.
Still, the details inside the win are hard to overlook for a team with bigger goals ahead. The Buckeyes struggled to sustain drives when it mattered, and the issues showed up in the kind of situations that usually separate a polished attack from one still searching for consistency. Even in a blowout, those snaps left enough of a mark to keep the conversation going about how much cleaner this offense has to get. [Read more 🡒]