Buckeyes Opponent Preview: Week Three, Kent State Golden Flashes
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As the saying goes, from the Penthouse to the Outhouse, and that applies perfectly to Ohio State's contrast from week two to week three.
After Ohio State travels down to Austin, Texas, to take on the Longhorns in what will likely be the game of the year for at least the first half of the season, they come home for a lopsided opponent, the Kent State Golden Flashes.
I'm not sure which version of the Buckeyes the Flashes would want to face. The two options are a team that is coming off a massive win and the No. 1 team in the country. The other option is a team coming off of a loss, looking to release some anger upon a team that is markedly outmatched.
Kent State's outlook on the 2026 season is a positive, above-average expectation. They are coming off a season in which they went 5-7 and just missed out on making a Bowl Game.
They finished 8th out of 13 MAC teams, but they have some continuity coming back. Quarterback Dru Deshields is back for his Sophomore season, looking to build on his successes of last year.
The head coach, Mark Carney, is entering his second year as a Division 1 head coach and is looking for more success than what they had last year.
A best-case scenario for the Flashes next season is a Bowl Game appearance. If they make it, it will be their first time since 2021, when they lost to Wyoming in the Idaho Potato Bowl by a lopsided score of 52-38.
Kent State being good and competitive is good for the sport of football, simple as that. It is likely that the Flashes will be 1-1 entering week three against Ohio State and will enter MAC play with a 1-2 mark.
For Ohio State, it doesn't matter what happens the week before; this is a get-right game. Working into the third week of the season, there will be enough to correct and get right before the beginning of the gauntlet of Big Ten play.
While it won't look like a big game from a scoreboard perspective, it will be a major game for the Buckeyes from a process perspective. They will need to be playing clean football heading into Big Ten play, regardless of what they do against Texas the week prior.
Two of the Buckeyes' first three games are against MAC opponents that sandwich their lone SEC opponent. Kent State marks the end of preseason and out-of-conference play for the Buckeyes, which would set them up for a win.
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