The Ohio State Buckeyes will play host to the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, fresh off blowing a 20-point lead at Texas. As the Buckeyes look to bounce back, the Golden Flashes just beat Wofford to wash out a season-opening loss to South Carolina.
Ohio State is a 52.5-point home favorite on Saturday, with the game total set at 59.5 points. Here is a preview of the Week 3 showdown featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
Kent State
The Golden Flashes faceplanted to open the season, losing 57-0 on the road against South Carolina. They got to go home for Week 2, hosting an FCS team in Wofford. Kent State spun that into a 36-15 win, sparked by a 22-0 fourth quarter — ironic, given how Ohio State’s last game went.
Quarterback Dru DeShields threw two picks in win No. 1, but he still piled up 253 passing yards and a touchdown, along with 74 yards and two more scores on the ground. That marked a step up from his 63 yards on 12-of-20 passing and 27 rushing yards in Week 1. He now boasts a 119.7 passer rating and a 62.2% completion percentage this season. Besides DeShields, the Golden Flashes’ next-leading rusher is Mason King, who has 111 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches. Cincinnati transfer Jakorion Caffey and freshman Brandon White, meanwhile, have combined for just 71 yards on 29 carries. Redshirt freshman Wayne Harris and senior Da’Realyst Clark, both returnees from last year’s 5-7 squad, are the only wideouts with more than three catches this season. Still, tight end Hunter Hopperton has been a security blanket with his seven grabs.
Kent State’s defense has been disruptive, with nine TFLs and six sacks. Linebacker Rafael Terrero Jr. also has a pick-six to his name, plus a forced fumble. However, Kent State is giving up 241.0 passing yards per game — more than their 236.0 mark in 2025, which ranked outside the top 100 in FBS. The Golden Flashes also gave up the 16th-most rushing yards per game in the country last year and are actually allowing more yards per carry so far in 2026.
Ohio State
After stomping Ball State 56-3 in their season opener, Ohio State took a trip down to Austin to face Texas in one of the most anticipated nonconference showdowns of the season. The Buckeyes benefited from a few friendly bounces, forcing early turnovers to build a 23-3 lead through three quarters. That’s when the offense petered out: Baylor transfer Connor Hawkins missed a key field goal, and Arch Manning came to life, leading the Longhorns to a 24-23 win.
Star quarterback Julian Sayin, who led FBS with a 77% completion percentage and finished fourth in Heisman voting last season, has been his typical efficient self so far in 2026. Sayin is averaging 299 yards per game with 11.11 adjusted yards per attempt, both above his marks from a year ago. And yet, his 174.4 passer rating doesn’t tell the whole story: he posted a 231.1 mark in Week 1, then a 130.2 mark in Week 2.
Sophomore Bo Jackson is once again the Buckeyes’ lead back after racking up 1,290 yards and seven touchdowns from scrimmage as a freshman. He is already up to 207 yards and one score through two games this year, while Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson has rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, the top weapon in the passing game has been Jeremiah Smith, the two-time reigning Big Ten receiving yards champion. Smith has turned 16 catches into 315 yards and three touchdowns, pushing for Heisman consideration again after a sixth-place finish in 2025. UTSA transfer Devin McCuin ranks second on Ohio State with 102 receiving yards, while no one else has more than 55.
Ohio State allows opponents to pass for 3.31 adjusted yards per attempt with a 92.9 passer rating. And while Texas rushed for 141 yards against this unit a week ago, it took 41 carries. Ball State rushed for just 45 yards on 23 attempts the week prior. The Buckeyes have just two sacks on the season, but a far healthier 13 TFLs through two games — plus two interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Pick, Best Bet
If South Carolina already beat Kent State by 57 points, it’s pretty easy to see Ohio State covering on Saturday. Coming off a pretty humiliating loss on national TV, Ryan Day’s squad could very easily let out their frustrations on an inferior opponent this weekend. Getting back to Columbus should help them out, too.
While looking to last year isn’t super helpful, the Buckeyes did allow the fewest yards and points per game in the country. They opened this season by giving up just three points to Ball State, too. Per ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Kent State is the fifth-lowest ranked FBS team in SP+, which is two spots lower than Ball State. With a chance to exorcise some demons, I like Ohio State to completely snuff out the Golden Flashes and run away in this contest as well.
