Sometimes the fastest way to shake off a crushing loss is to line up and play again. That’s exactly what No.
6 Ohio State gets Saturday afternoon, when the Buckeyes return to Ohio Stadium to host Kent State. Kickoff is set for noon on FOX.
The Buckeyes come in at 1-1 after last Saturday night’s gut-punch in Austin, where they fell 24-23 to No. 4 Texas.
For three quarters, Ohio State had the game under control, taking a 23-3 lead into the fourth. Then everything flipped.
Texas scored 21 straight points and walked away with the win.
For Ryan Day’s team, this game is about more than padding the win column. It’s a chance to clean up the mistakes from Austin, rebuild some confidence and put together the kind of four-quarter performance that will matter once Big Ten play arrives.
Julian Sayin will be one of the biggest names to watch.
The junior quarterback came out sharp against Texas, completing 12 of his first 16 throws for 192 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The rhythm didn’t hold after the break. Sayin finished 17-of-32 for 278 yards with an interception, and Ohio State’s offense went quiet in the fourth quarter.
Through two games, Sayin has 598 passing yards and four touchdowns. Against Kent State, he’ll have a shot to settle back into the efficient passing game he showed in Ohio State’s 56-3 season-opening win over Ball State. And of course, having Jeremiah Smith on the outside makes life a lot easier.
Smith was again Ohio State’s most dangerous weapon in Austin, catching eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. Texas had trouble with him early before limiting his chances later on. That likely means the Buckeyes will keep leaning on Smith Saturday while also trying to build out more of the passing game around him.
Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin are two receivers who could use more chances. Both finished with just one catch against Texas, and Ohio State will want dependable options beyond Smith as the schedule toughens up.
Bo Jackson could be part of that reset, too.
The running back led Ohio State with 74 rushing yards against Texas and has 157 on the season through two games. If the Buckeyes can get Jackson going early, it would ease the load on Sayin and help the offense control the pace instead of depending so heavily on the passing game.
It could also open the door for some of the younger offensive players to get real snaps if Ohio State takes command early.
Defensively, the Buckeyes spent most of the night in Austin playing strong football before the fourth quarter unraveling. Texas was held to three points through three periods, then ripped off three long touchdown drives to finish the job. The Longhorns went 91, 72 and 73 yards on those possessions, and Ohio State couldn’t get off the field when it needed to most.
Even with that collapse, there were some encouraging signs. Jay Timmons and Riley Pettijohn both flashed against a loaded Texas team. Timmons finished with six tackles and forced a fumble, while Pettijohn continued to show why he could become an important piece for the Buckeyes as the season goes on.
Kent State quarterback Dru DeShields will give that defense a different look.
DeShields can hurt teams through the air and on the ground. In the Golden Flashes’ win over Wofford, he threw for 248 yards and a touchdown while adding a career-high 74 rushing yards and two scores.
Through two games, he leads Kent State with 316 passing yards and 101 rushing yards. Keeping him contained and eliminating explosive plays will be a key assignment for Ohio State’s defense.
Kent State enters at 1-1 after a 57-0 loss at South Carolina and a 36-15 win over Wofford. The all-time numbers in this matchup are lopsided in Ohio State’s favor.
The Buckeyes are 3-0 against Kent State and have outscored the Golden Flashes 165-20 in those meetings. Their last matchup came during Ohio State’s 2014 national championship season, when the Buckeyes rolled to a 66-0 win at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State is also 40-1 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference.
Still, Saturday is really about the Buckeyes’ response to their first real adversity of the 2026 season.
Ohio State proved against Texas that it can go toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s best teams. Now it has to show it can finish the job.
Sayin gets a chance to settle in again. Jackson can help spark the ground game.
Smith remains one of college football’s most dangerous playmakers, while Inniss and McCuin have a shot to carve out bigger roles.
On defense, the Buckeyes can put last week’s fourth-quarter breakdown behind them and keep developing their young talent. The loss in Austin stung, but Ohio State’s season is still very much alive. Saturday afternoon against Kent State is the first chance to prove it.
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