Ohio State took care of business against Kent State, rolling through a non-conference finale that never got tight. Now the Buckeyes turn the page to Big Ten play, and the first step is a rivalry matchup with Illinois in their only trophy game.
The bigger test, though, comes the following weekend. Ohio State heads to Iowa City for the first time in nine years, and the Buckeyes did dodge the worst-case scenario when the kickoff time was set.
Ohio State’s game at Iowa will kick off at 3:30 pm in Week 5 and air on CBS, the first Buckeyes game on that network this season. It will also be the fourth different kickoff time Ohio State has had.
That start time matters because it keeps the Buckeyes out of a night game at Kinnick Stadium. That place is tough enough as it is, and it gets even nastier after dark. The last time Ohio State played there, it ended in a loss nine years ago.
That earlier trip came after the Buckeyes pulled off a huge comeback against Penn State, only to come out flat the next week. J.T.
Barrett threw an early pick-six, and the game was effectively over from there. Ohio State was blown out, and the loss crushed its College Football Playoff hopes.
A setback in a couple of weeks would not carry the exact same circumstances, but it would still put Ohio State in a dangerous spot. It would be the Buckeyes’ second loss of the season, even if both defeats came on the road. Given the strength of the schedule, Ohio State might still be able to survive with three losses, but that is not a path anyone in Columbus wants to explore.
For now, the focus stays on Illinois. Ryan Day is not about to let his team drift ahead to Iowa City before it handles this weekend’s business. The Illini are going to get Ohio State’s full attention, and they should.
After that, the Buckeyes will have a much tougher road ahead. Iowa is ranked 17th in the country and has improved offensively, so this is no throwaway game.
Ohio State also needs to clean up its ground game after doing it worse than it did at Texas. That was unacceptable.
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 Fans Got A Big Noon Reminder Nobody Wanted
A rout should have sounded like a showcase, but Ohio States 59-3 win over Kent State came with a broadcast that drew as much attention as the score. FOX Sports announcer Gus Johnson delivered the game in a flat, muted tone, and he also made a factual mistake while discussing a players touchdown history, a rough combination in a matchup that was already struggling to hold viewers attention.
The bigger issue is one college football keeps circling back to every fall: games like this are increasingly hard to sell, even for a blueblood with a massive fan base. Ohio State can only do so much when the opponent is overmatched, and the broadcast only amplified the sense that fans, and maybe networks, would rather see a more competitive nonconference slate than another predictable Saturday afternoon tune-up. [Read more 🡒]