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Wk 3 · 2026

Kent State Golden Flashes at Ohio State Buckeyes — Sat, Sep 19

Sat, Sep 19 · Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH · Fox FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Kent State Golden Flashes
MAC · 2-4
3
at
12:00pET
OSU -52.5 · total 58.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential OSU by 50.3
#6 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten · 5-1
59

What is at stake

A non-conference game. It moves both overall records but neither conference race. Ohio State is ranked #5 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Kent State: -21.2#134
Efficiency margin
Ohio State: +26.7#3
Kent State: 19.0
Offense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 44.4
Kent State: 31.2
Defense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 8.6
Kent State: 62.8
Pace (plays/g)
Ohio State: 68.7
Kent State: 4.47
Yards / play
Ohio State: 7.33
Kent State: 6.24
Yards / play allowed
Ohio State: 4.00
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Kent State: 13.7
Points / game
Ohio State: 42.7
Kent State: 32.5
Points allowed
Ohio State: 13.2
Kent State: 281
Yards / game
Ohio State: 504
Kent State: 380
Yards allowed
Ohio State: 247
Kent State: 227
Pass yds allowed
Ohio State: 151
Kent State: 152
Rush yds allowed
Ohio State: 96
Kent State: 1.67
Turnovers / game
Ohio State: 1.00
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Kent State form

L 7-38at WMUL 10-13vs OHIOW 26-13vs BALLL 3-59at OSUW 36-15vs WOF
2026 season

Ohio State form

W 45-16vs MDW 31-14at IOWAW 42-19vs ILLW 59-3vs KENTL 23-24at TEX
2026 season

Kent State this season

Straight up2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)

Ohio State this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 1

OpponentKent StateOhio State
Ball State
MAC
vs W 26-13 previewvs W 56-3 preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Ohio State leads 3–0 · Ohio State has won the last 3
3 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 55.7 points toward Ohio State
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-19Kent State 3 — 59 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20142014-09-13Kent State 0 — 66 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State
20072007-10-13Kent State 3 — 48 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State

Kent State leaders 2026 regular season

PassingDru DeShields QB #1270/120, 757 YDS, 3 TD, 5 INT
Da'Realyst Clark WR #81/1, 29 YDS
RushingDru DeShields QB #1239 CAR, 183 YDS, 3 TD
Mason King RB #039 CAR, 166 YDS, 1 TD
Brandon White RB #2240 CAR, 126 YDS
ReceivingDa'Realyst Clark WR #819 REC, 246 YDS, 1 TD
Wayne Harris WR #616 REC, 204 YDS, 1 TD
Ardell Banks WR #17 REC, 167 YDS
Terik Mulder TE #896 REC, 61 YDS
Defense
TacklesRocco Nicholl LB #424
Joel Cordoba DB #224
A'tiq Muhammad DB #122
SacksRocco Nicholl LB #43
Jaihien Roy DL #332
Semaj Bridgeman LB #171
InterceptionsNorey Johnson DB #181
Rafael Terrero Jr. LB #201
Jaihien Roy DL #331
full roster and per-player history

Ohio State leaders 2026 regular season

PassingJulian Sayin QB #10103/142, 1530 YDS, 13 TD, 1 INT
Luke Fahey QB #139/11, 203 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
RushingBo Jackson RB #2566 CAR, 353 YDS, 2 TD
Ja'Kobi Jackson RB #2445 CAR, 278 YDS, 6 TD
Isaiah West RB #3222 CAR, 80 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingJeremiah Smith WR #444 REC, 823 YDS, 9 TD
Devin McCuin WR #317 REC, 245 YDS, 2 TD
Brandon Inniss WR #110 REC, 147 YDS, 1 TD
Brock Boyd WR #116 REC, 110 YDS
Defense
TacklesEarl Little Jr. S #126
Payton Pierce LB #2626
Jaylen McClain S #820
SacksKenyatta Jackson Jr. DE #23
Riley Pettijohn LB #52
Qua Russaw DE #41
InterceptionsJaylen McClain S #82
Tarvos Alford LB #171
Riley Pettijohn LB #51
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.