Ohio State gets its final tune-up before Big Ten play, and the opponent is Kent State. The Buckeyes host the Golden Flashes in Columbus for the first time since Ryan Day took over as head coach, and there’s a familiar note hanging over this matchup: the last three times OSU hosted Kent State - in 2002, 2007 and 2014 - the season ended with a trip to the national championship.
The betting line reflects exactly what kind of game this is expected to be. DraftKings has Ohio State favored by 52.5 points, with the over/under set at 58.5. And in the latest staff predictions, the consensus is clear: this has the feel of a lopsided, get-right game for a Buckeyes team that still has plenty to clean up in all three phases.
Stephen Means has Ohio State rolling to a 77-3 win, with the offense needing to hit a high level without leaning too hard on its biggest star. His view is simple: get Jeremiah Smith his record, then get him out and let the rest of the offense prove it can finish drives with touchdowns. Means took the over at 59.5 and enters with a 1-1 record, a 2-0-0 mark against the spread, and 135 tokens left.
Stefan Krajisnik sees a 70-3 Ohio State win and expects Smith to put up strong numbers early before leaving the game. He wants to see quarterback Sayin stay in longer, using the extra snaps to build chemistry with receivers not named Jeremiah Smith - Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Brock Boyd and Chris Henry Jr.
Krajisnik also pointed to Ohio State’s need to tackle and finish better on defense, which could create turnovers and short fields, and he said a special teams touchdown wouldn’t surprise him. He also took the over at 59.5, is 2-0 overall, and has 90 tokens remaining.
Andrew Gillis picked the most dominant result of the group: Ohio State 66, Kent State 0. He wrote that the Buckeyes have “things to prove” and “anger to release” after last week’s heartbreaking loss, and he called this both a get-right game for the starters and a prove-it game for depth players.
Gillis expects freshmen receivers Henry and Boyd to make an impact, while also predicting Ohio State will score nine touchdowns and kick a field goal to get a look at Connor Hawkins. His prediction would leave the Buckeyes at 2-1 heading into conference play.
He is 2-0 against the spread, 2-0 on over/unders, and has 134 tokens left.
In Other News...
Ohio State Loss Keeps Getting More Awkward After Sarkisian Controversy
Texas comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State was already going to be remembered for the result, but the postgame noise has kept following it. Quarterback Arch Manning later apologized after laughing at an AI-generated video that showed coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, a moment that only added to the odd aftertaste surrounding a game the Buckeyes had let slip away.
Sarkisian also addressed the issue in a media meeting, saying he had skipped a postgame interview with Rowe because of a delay and because he chose to celebrate with his team instead. He said he respects Rowe and ESPN and expressed regret over how he handled it, another layer to a loss Ohio State fans were already trying to process as the off-field awkwardness kept building. [Read more 🡒]
Micah Parsons Just Revived A Massive Ohio State What-If
Micah Parsons has reopened one of those Ohio State recruiting what-ifs that never really disappears, especially when a player becomes one of the NFLs most disruptive defenders. The former Penn State star said he was close enough to Ohio State that he could picture what his career might have looked like in Columbus, where a front already stacked with elite pass rushers could have given him a different kind of launch point.
What makes the conversation linger is the way Parsons framed the fit with that Buckeyes defensive line. Ohio State has turned edge talent into a defining part of its identity, and Parsons imagining himself alongside names like Nick Bosa and Chase Young only adds to the intrigue of how much scarier that group might have been. The full story behind his decision is the kind of recruiting twist that still echoes years later, and it is easy to see why Buckeyes fans cannot help replaying it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Secondary Has A Problem Big Ten Teams Will Notice
Ohio States secondary left Saturday with more questions than it wanted after a game against Texas in which coverage broke down on two pass plays that should have put the Buckeyes in real trouble. The only reason both snaps didnt turn into touchdowns was because Texas receivers failed to finish the job, a reminder that the back end is still searching for cleaner communication and tighter execution before Big Ten play begins.
Safety Earl Little Jr. acknowledged the need for improvement and stressed that every defender has to own his assignment if the unit is going to hold up against conference offenses. The coaching staff has kept practice demanding for exactly that reason, pushing the Buckeyes to sharpen the details now rather than hope they sort themselves out later. [Read more 🡒]