Ohio State 52.5 Point Favorite Over Kent State Preview

Ohio State is a 52.5-point favorite over Kent State for their game on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Kent State is not very good, and expect the Buckeyes to be ornery following their historic collapse and 1-point loss at Texas. This article presents five things fans should know heading into this game.

It will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes are going to play some of their youngsters. They did not play much in Austin, but a strong argument could be made that these players are the best players on the team. A good case in point is Legend Bey. He is probably the most dangerous threat Ohio State has, and he only played one game at Texas. Do you think the Buckeyes will play the youngsters?

Five Things to Know for the Ohio State – Kent State Game

Sept. 9, 2023; Columbus, Oh., USA; Brutus Buckeye and Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) take a stance as the Ohio State Buckeyes huddle up before Saturday's NCAA Division I football game against the Youngstown State Penguins at Ohio Stadium. — Sept. 9, 2023; Columbus, Oh., USA; Brutus Buckeye and Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) take a stance as the Ohio State Buckeyes huddle up before Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game against the Youngstown State Penguins at Ohio Stadium. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Mark Carney, the Kent State Coach

There is a lot to do about Mark Carney, the head coach for Kent State. To make a long story short, the interim coach last season was not expected to be asked back, but he won people over. After Kenni Burns went 1-23 as the head coach of Kent State and was fired for multiple violations of his contract, the Golden Flashes named offensive coordinator Mark Carney the interim head coach in April 2025.

Carney has a tough job with the Golden Flashes as they historically struggle in the Mid-American Conference, and the team also gets beaten badly by historical powers once or twice a year. They are about to get beaten badly by Ohio State, and they lost their first game this year at South Carolina. Carney joined the Kent State coaching staff in 2023 as the tight ends coach, then had his interim tag removed in late October 2025. His players could not be more thrilled. The Golden Flashes won 5 games last year.

Elite Kickoff Returner

Kent State is not very good, but they are strong at one position. Kent State has a wide receiver and kickoff returner, Da’Realyst Clark is very good. He has also been spotlighted on the internet because of his name, not his exploits on the football field. He had impressive accomplishments on the football field last year. He had three catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, also going 2-for-2 on passing attempts for 39 yards and a touchdown. As a kick returner, he had 16 attempts for 452 yards and a pair of scores, landing him on several preseason All-America teams.

NFL Special Teams Standout

It seems the team facing Ohio State this Saturday has a bit of a tradition on special teams. Well, he has an excellent coach in first-year special teams analyst Josh Cribbs, who is Kent State’s all-time leader in total offense, touchdowns, rushing touchdowns, completions, passing yards, and points as a four-year starting quarterback.

But he did not make his mark in the NFL as a quarterback; it was as a returner for the Cleveland Browns, holding their all-time marks for career kickoff return yards, combined kickoff and punt return yards, all-purpose yards, most kickoff return yards in a single season, most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season, and most all-purpose yards in a single season.

News and Notes

Kent State lost big at South Carolina in the first game this season.
Lou Holtz played at Kent State in 1956 and 1957. A knee injury ended his career early.
Nick Saban also played at Kent State from 1970-1973. He won a Mid-American Conference title in 1972.
The team that faces Ohio State as the Golden Flashes was originally called the Silver Foxes. The name changed in 1928. The Silver Fox name was because there was a ranch right next to the school.
Flash, Kent State’s mascot, was hatched from an egg. On Oct. 12, 1985, during halftime of the Homecoming football game, a giant egg was rolled onto the 50-yard line, and Flash emerged from it in a cloud of smoke.

Conclusion

Ohio State is set to win this game big. It will be interesting to see if the team corrects some of its shortcomings in Austin. Several young players, most of them freshmen, should get more playing time. Legend Bey, mentioned above, is not the only one. Defensive lineman Karhe Wilder and linebacker Riley Pettojohn are also good examples. With this game expected to be a blowout, Ohio State will have the chance to play many players from its depth chart.