Kent State vs. Ohio State Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Market vs our model
we are 14.6 toward 
KENT
| Market | Our model | |
|---|---|---|
| Spread |  OSU −52.5 | OSU −37.9 |
Calibrated against results, not against the closing line. Read this as our confidence, not as an edge over the market.
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where Ohio State gets at Kent State: 1st at turning trips inside the 40 into points, against a unit 134th at holding teams to field goals. Kent State projects no clear way in against Ohio State. Ohio State is also 1st at keeping a clean pocket, against a unit 131st.
HowOSUattacksKENT
- 1
Finish drives in the red zone
turning trips inside the 40 into points · projected
OSU#1 of 138KENT#134 of 138 - 2
Expect a clean pocket
sacks and tackles for loss · projected
OSU#1 of 138KENT#131 of 138 - 3
Trust the offense behind schedule
surviving second and twelve · projected
OSU#1 of 138KENT#130 of 138
The two teams
Kent State
Kent State is in year 2 under Mark Carney. The strengths are offensive, led by 12th at hitting chunk plays. The way in is 134th at holding teams to field goals, and they are 133rd at running it.
Kent State has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensehitting chunk plays#12projected
Projected soft spots
- Defenseturning trips inside the 40 into points#134projected
- Offenserunning it#133projected
- Defensesacks and tackles for loss#131projected
Ohio State
Ohio State throws it: Ryan Day's offenses have been pass-leaning across 8 seasons. The strengths are offensive, led by 1st at throwing it. The way in is 121st at hitting chunk plays.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+1.5%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −35.0% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Ohio State has played 1 game against a genuinely tough slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensethrowing it#1projected
- Offensefirst and second down#1projected
- Offensesurviving second and twelve#1projected
Projected soft spots
- Offensehitting chunk plays#121projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (OSU Elo 1983, KENT Elo 1056 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects OSU -37.9 (100% to win) — 14.6 points clear of KENT's market line of -52.5. That is a disagreement, not a betting edge — sides we favour have not covered at better than breakeven.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
KENT105th7thOSUOSU3rd121stKENTThrough the air
KENT111th23rdOSUOSU2nd104thKENTOn the ground
KENT81st10thOSUOSU30th111thKENTStaying on the field
KENT47th16thOSUOSU58th70thKENTTaking care of it
KENT118th88thOSUOSU31st53rdKENT
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| KENT | OSU | |
|---|---|---|
| -23.2 (#137) | CORE overall | +33.9 (#1) |
| -8 / +15 | offense / defense | +15 / -19 |
| 0.00 | points / drive | 4.67 |
| 6.22 | allowed / drive | 0.27 |
| 33% | three-and-outs | 17% |
| -3 | pass over expected | +13 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Kent State vs. Ohio State?
Gridpex's model favors Ohio State with a 100% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Kent State vs. Ohio State?
The model projects Ohio State by 37.9.
What time is Kent State vs. Ohio State and what channel is it on?
Sat, Sep 19, 12:00 PM ET, at Ohio Stadium.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →