Wk 5 · 2026
Ohio Bobcats at Kent State Golden Flashes — Sat, Oct 3
Sat, Oct 3 ·
Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium, Kent, OH
· ESPN+ 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.
at
3:30pET
OHIO -3.5 · total 50.5 DraftKings opened +5.5 · 2 toward KENT
Ratings differential OHIO by 11.4
What is at stake
A MAC game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race.
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
Efficiency margin
Offense (pts/100)
Defense (pts/100)
Pace (plays/g)
Yards / play
Yards / play allowed
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
Points / game
Points allowed
Yards / game
Yards allowed
Pass yds allowed
Rush yds allowed
Turnovers / game
From completed 2026 box scores;
defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.
Ohio form
W 31-14vs CMUW 13-10at KENTW 35-7vs STOL 36-41at USAW 29-27vs JXST
2026 season
Kent State form
L 7-38at WMUL 10-13vs OHIOW 26-13vs BALLL 3-59at OSUW 36-15vs WOF
2026 season
Ohio this season
Straight up4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Kent State this season
Straight up2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (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 · 5
| Opponent | Ohio | Kent State |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento St MAC | at Wk 7 · scheduled preview | at Wk 9 · scheduled preview |
| E Michigan MAC | vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview |
| Akron MAC | at Wk 10 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview |
| Miami OH MAC | at Wk 11 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview |
| Ball State MAC | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview | vs W 26-13 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Ohio leads 12–7 · Ohio has won the last 3
19 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
3.9 points toward Ohio
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-10-03 | Ohio 13 — 10 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
| 2024 | 2024-11-06 | Ohio 41 — 0 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
| 2023 | 2023-10-07 | Kent State 17 — 42 Ohio | at OHIO | Ohio |
| 2022 | 2022-10-01 | Ohio 24 — 31 Kent State | at KENT | Kent State |
| 2021 | 2021-10-23 | Kent State 34 — 27 Ohio | at OHIO | Kent State |
| 2019 | 2019-10-19 | Kent State 38 — 45 Ohio | at OHIO | Ohio |
| 2018 | 2018-10-06 | Ohio 27 — 26 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
| 2017 | 2017-10-21 | Kent State 3 — 48 Ohio | at OHIO | Ohio |
| 2016 | 2016-10-22 | Ohio 14 — 10 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
| 2015 | 2015-11-10 | Kent State 0 — 27 Ohio | at OHIO | Ohio |
| 2014 | 2014-08-30 | Ohio 17 — 14 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
| 2013 | 2013-11-19 | Kent State 44 — 13 Ohio | at OHIO | Kent State |
| 2012 | 2012-11-23 | Ohio 6 — 28 Kent State | at KENT | Kent State |
| 2011 | 2011-10-01 | Kent State 10 — 17 Ohio | at OHIO | Ohio |
| 2010 | 2010-11-26 | Ohio 6 — 28 Kent State | at KENT | Kent State |
| 2009 | 2009-10-24 | Kent State 20 — 11 Ohio | at OHIO | Kent State |
| 2008 | 2008-10-11 | Ohio 26 — 19 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
| 2007 | 2007-09-29 | Kent State 33 — 25 Ohio | at OHIO | Kent State |
| 2006 | 2006-10-28 | Ohio 17 — 7 Kent State | at KENT | Ohio |
Ohio leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Matt Vezza QB #9 | 40/58, 439 YDS, 4 TD, 3 INT |
| Nick Poulos QB #8 | 16/36, 180 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Rushing | Victor Rosa RB #4 | 56 CAR, 219 YDS, 4 TD |
| Duncan Brune RB #6 | 45 CAR, 184 YDS | |
| Matt Vezza QB #9 | 36 CAR, 182 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Riley Neer WR #15 | 23 REC, 338 YDS, 4 TD |
| Dom Dorwart WR #3 | 11 REC, 160 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Preston Bowman WR #2 | 7 REC, 63 YDS | |
| Riley Palmeter TE #85 | 5 REC, 61 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Michael Molnar LB #25 | 44 |
| Jack Fries LB #27 | 36 | |
| JT Haskins S #3 | 28 | |
| Sacks | Ike Ackerman DE #14 | 3.5 |
| Michael Molnar LB #25 | 1 | |
| Nathan Hale DT #57 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Michael Molnar LB #25 | 1 |
| Kendall Bannister CB #20 | 1 |
Kent State leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Dru DeShields QB #12 | 70/120, 757 YDS, 3 TD, 5 INT |
| Da'Realyst Clark WR #8 | 1/1, 29 YDS | |
| Rushing | Dru DeShields QB #12 | 39 CAR, 183 YDS, 3 TD |
| Mason King RB #0 | 39 CAR, 166 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Brandon White RB #22 | 40 CAR, 126 YDS | |
| Receiving | Da'Realyst Clark WR #8 | 19 REC, 246 YDS, 1 TD |
| Wayne Harris WR #6 | 16 REC, 204 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Ardell Banks WR #1 | 7 REC, 167 YDS | |
| Terik Mulder TE #89 | 6 REC, 61 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Rocco Nicholl LB #4 | 24 |
| Joel Cordoba DB #2 | 24 | |
| A'tiq Muhammad DB #1 | 22 | |
| Sacks | Rocco Nicholl LB #4 | 3 |
| Jaihien Roy DL #33 | 2 | |
| Semaj Bridgeman LB #17 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Norey Johnson DB #18 | 1 |
| Rafael Terrero Jr. LB #20 | 1 | |
| Jaihien Roy DL #33 | 1 |
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.