Ohio State comes into Week 3 as a massive 52.5-point favorite over Kent State, with the betting line sitting at Ohio State -52.5 and the over/under at 57.5.
That number says plenty about what awaits on Saturday night. The Buckeyes are trying to shake off the kind of loss that fans in Columbus know too well, a 24-23 setback to Texas that followed a familiar script: an early edge, a conservative offensive approach that let the game drift, special teams problems, and a defense that couldn’t land the decisive stops late.
The bigger concern for Ohio State is what comes next, because the real measuring stick against Indiana is still more than a month away. That Oct. 17 matchup is the one that should tell us whether Ryan Day and his staff actually clean up the issues from the Texas game, or whether the same breakdowns show up again when the schedule stiffens.
Until then, the Buckeyes are heading into a stretch that won’t offer much resistance, starting with Kent State.
There were warning signs all over the second half against Texas. Julian Sayin opened hot, going 12-of-16 for 192 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but he settled into a rough stretch after halftime, finishing just five of 16 on his passes in the second half. One miss stood out in particular: a throw to a wide open Devin McCuin that likely would have sealed the game late in the third quarter.
Once Ohio State took a 20-3 lead, the drives after that told the story: punt, field goal, punt, punt, missed field goal, end of game.
The Buckeyes also leaned almost entirely on Jeremiah Smith. He was the only receiver who made a real dent, finishing with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. McCuin and Inniss were the only other Ohio State wideouts to record a catch, and they combined for just two receptions and 24 yards.
Defensively, the first half looked sharp enough. Matt Patricia’s unit held Texas to 97 total yards before the break.
But the second half became a different game entirely, especially once the offense kept sending the defense back onto the field. After punting on its first two possessions of the third quarter, Texas found the end zone on three straight drives to finish the game, including conversions on a pair of fourth downs that kept the Longhorns alive.
Arch Manning had far too little pressure on him as the Buckeyes faded late, and Ohio State did little of anything right while Texas kept chipping away and eventually moved ahead for good.
Kent State, meanwhile, arrives at 1-1 after opening with a 57-0 loss to South Carolina and then beating Wofford 36-15. On paper, that makes the Golden Flashes a heavy underdog against an Ohio State team that should be angry and looking for answers.
In Other News...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A CFP Scheduling Problem Fans Will Debate
The latest reminder came from Stillwater, where Oklahoma States win over Oregon set off a celebration that included students carrying a goalpost into a campus pond. Beyond the scenes of jubilation, the result fed directly into a familiar college football argument: whether powerhouse programs should keep loading up on difficult non-conference games when every loss can carry real College Football Playoff consequences.
Ohio State followers know that debate well, because the Buckeyes have long valued the kind of early-season test that can sharpen a team and energize a schedule. But when coaches such as Brent Venables, Steve Sarkisian and Dan Lanning talk about the risks and rewards of those matchups, they are really pointing to the same uncomfortable question fans keep circling. In a playoff era that can punish even a quality loss, the margin between a statement win and a season-long regret can be awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Faces Ohio State's Biggest Early Problem
A season-opening loss usually gets measured in the broad strokes, but this one left Ohio State with a much sharper lesson. After building a multi-score second-half lead against Texas, the Buckeyes let the game slip away and were left to answer for a finish that never matched the promise of the first three quarters. Ryan Day pointed to defensive issues and red zone struggles as part of the unraveling, a familiar kind of regret for a team with big expectations.
Day did not try to separate himself from the problem, saying the responsibility for the gameplan sits with him and that the Buckeyes have to improve in every phase moving forward. The early concern in Columbus is not just the loss itself, but how it happened, with Ohio State unable to close in the fourth quarter after appearing to have control. For a program built on standards, the margin for error already looks smaller than anyone wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces Early Questions After Stunning Poll Drop
The early tone of Ohio States season changed fast in Austin, where a big lead slipped away and turned into a damaging loss for the top-ranked Buckeyes. What looked like a statement win against Texas instead became an opening-week reality check, the kind that can reshape how a team is viewed before September really gets going.
The fallout showed up in the latest Coaches Poll, with Texas climbing and Ohio State sliding five spots as other programs around the country also shuffled up and down the rankings. For the Buckeyes, the larger concern is less about the number beside their name and more about how quickly a game can tilt when an opponent finds momentum, which is exactly what Texas did in the fourth quarter behind Arch Manning. [Read more 🡒]