Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Kent State Golden Flashes Complete Game Preview
One week after suffering its first loss of the season—a 35-21 home defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech—the Ohio State football team will return to the field for an in-state matchup with Kent State. Despite the Buckeyes entering Saturday's showdown as heavy favorites, the Golden Flashes will look to play the role of spoiler as an off-week looms for Ohio State.
The playoffs may no longer be in the picture for the Buckeyes, but they still have plenty of work to do as they look to make the most of the 2014 season. Ohio State's loss to Hokies admittedly exploited many of its deficiencies, and this Saturday could present the perfect opportunity to improve on those weaknesses with a higher-profile Buckeye State battle around the corner.
But before Cincinnati gets its shot at the Buckeyes on Sept. 27, Ohio State will first have to deal with a Kent State squad still searching for its first win of the season. Despite the mismatch in talent, many will have their eyes on this Saturday's Big Ten-Mid-American Conference clash, which could help provide answers for an Ohio State team that remains full of questions.
Until then, here's everything you need to know about this weekend's battle between the Buckeyes and Golden Flashes:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Place: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
TV: ABC, ESPN 2
Spread: Ohio State (-26.5), via Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
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Catch the Ball
Had Ohio State followed this key last weekend, perhaps the Buckeyes would still be looking at an undefeated season.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett played well enough to win against Virginia Tech but didn't receive much help from his receivers, who recorded no less than five costly drops in OSU's loss to the Hokies. Corey Smith, Evan Spencer and Dontre Wilson all had balls hit them in the hands that they couldn't come down with, in an effort that head coach Urban Meyer took issue with.
"We dropped a touchdown early in the game that would have—you start hitting some of them like we did, it puts them in a zone coverage," Meyer said after the game. "I don’t think our wide receivers played well."
With Virginia Tech finding success in loading the box and daring the Buckeyes to throw, don't be surprised to see Kent State take a similar approach this Saturday in The Horseshoe. The OSU receivers should have an easier time getting by their MAC defenders but will need to catch the ball to make that matter.
It may seem simple enough, but last Saturday, it was ultimately the difference between a win and a loss for the Buckeyes.
Show Up
They say that just showing up is half the battle, but for Ohio State, attendance will account for more 50 percent on Saturday.
The fact of the matter is that despite all of the questions still surrounding the Buckeyes, they still hold such a significant talent edge over the Golden Flashes that it's nearly impossible to imagine Kent State walking away from Ohio Stadium with a victory. MAC teams have beaten the Big Ten before, but the Flashes have struggled severely in their first 14 games under head coach Paul Haynes, accumulating a 4-10 record since Darrell Hazell left for Purdue following the 2012 campaign.
With former star Dri Archer now in the NFL, Kent State has all but lost its one long shot at pulling off an upset for the ages in Columbus. Yes, there's a reason why games are played on the field and not on paper, but in this case, it's mostly because of the $850,000 payday that Kent State will receive.
Kent State Keys to Victory
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Force Turnovers
With an inexperienced offense at all positions, the Buckeyes have already shown a propensity for turning the ball over in this young season, with Barrett throwing three interceptions in OSU's loss to Virginia Tech. A number of factors have contributed to the Buckeyes' carelessness with the ball, including an offensive line that's still in the process of replacing four multiyear starters from a season ago and wide receivers who haven't been able to get open on a consistent basis.
And then there's Barrett, who will be making just the third start of his college career on Saturday. Meyer has described the redshirt freshman quarterback's play as just "OK" thus far, and truth be told, that'll be enough to get the job done against the Golden Flashes on Saturday.
"He'll rebound. I have all the confidence in the world, so does our offensive staff," Meyer said. "That is his strength. You'll watch a young man that's really going to rebound this weekend."
But if Kent State can use Barrett's inexperience against him and force a disastrous performance? Then we could be looking at a different story. Barrett won't need to play great, but cutting down on turnovers will be key this week, as he looks to get the Ohio State offense back on track.
Special Plays on Special Teams
Also contributing to the Buckeyes' struggles against the Hokies was a shoddy special teams performance, which included two missed field goals, a 24-yard punt and a fourth-quarter kickoff that landed out of bounds. As a coach who places an emphasis on that unit, this was alarming to Meyer, who was at a loss for answers following the game.
"It set us back," Meyer said of his team's special teams gaffes. "Don't punt the ball 24 yards. We're going to work on that. Don't punt the ball 24 yards."
It'll take these type of plays—and then some—for Kent State to pull off an upset, but the reality remains that the opportunity's out there. Outmatched between the trenches, the Golden Flashes will have to find special ways to score against the Buckeyes, and special teams could provide them with an alley to do just that.
Ohio State Players to Watch
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Corey Smith
A redshirt junior playing in his first season at Ohio State, Smith struggled on Saturday, dropping three balls, including a sure-touchdown in the second quarter. Nevertheless, Meyer remains confident in the former JUCO player's ability, even pulling the Akron, Ohio, native aside for a one-on-one chat on Monday.
"I'm not giving up on Corey Smith," Meyer said. "He dropped a touchdown pass and it might have changed the game. I met with him today and he's a guy that has a lot of potential."
A former 4-star prospect, Smith is a speedster who drew rave reviews from the Ohio State coaching staff this past preseason. But his play through the Buckeyes' first two games hasn't lived up to the hype, as the Ohio State receiving corps has been unimpressive in the first two games of the season.
"You basically look at his career and there is a word next to him saying potential," Meyer admitted. "Not a lot of statistics or commanded respect, but he's got a lot of potential."
After his shaky showing, it appears Smith will get another chance to change that reputation Saturday. What he'll do with the opportunity remains to be seen, but the Rubber City product now finds himself at a crossroads of sorts in his college career.
Noah Spence
After serving a three-game suspension following a positive drug test at last year's Big Ten Championship Game, defensive end Noah Spence will return to the Buckeyes lineup on Saturday, where he'll be a much-welcomed addition. An All-Big Ten performer a season ago, Spence recorded 50 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his sophomore season in 2013.
And despite Spence's suspension, Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash insists that Spence hasn't missed a beat. He may have been relegated to the scout team the last two weeks, but the addition of Spence will only provide a boost to a Buckeyes defensive line that's considered to be one of the best in the country.
"He's been in all of the defensive line meetings, all of our walkthroughs," Ash said of Spence. "From the time we started to the time we ended spring practice, he made a lot of improvement. He made improvement through training camp also."
Spence won't be a make-or-break player for the Buckeyes this weekend, but he could be down the line, especially once Big Ten play begins. No one will ever know whether he would have been the difference between a win and a loss against Virginia Tech, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt to have the former 5-star prospect on the field last Saturday.
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Kent State Players to Watch
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Ernest Calhoun
Archer—now a starting kick returner for the Pittsburgh Steelers—may be short in stature, but he makes for a tall task to replace after earning All-American honors in his senior season at Kent State. And while Ernest Calhoun may not be the dynamic athlete that the former MAC Special Teams Player of the Year was, he's doing all that he can to replace Archer in the Golden Flashes' lineup, recording 14 receptions for 119 yards in KSU's first two games of the season.
At 5'6" and 151 pounds, Calhoun is hardly imposing, but he is the type of jitterbug that the Buckeyes have had trouble bringing down in the past two seasons. Look for Haynes to try to get the Akron, Ohio, native in space and force the Buckeyes' unproven linebacking corps to make plays.
Don't be surprised to see Calhoun in the backfield either, as he attempted two rushes in Kent State's season-opening loss to Ohio. He may not have the upside that Archer did, but Calhoun has become one of the focal points of the Flashes offense and should be a name that you'll be hearing often on Saturday.
Colin Reardon
Despite KSU's early-season struggles, which included a loss to South Alabama last weekend, the Flashes have seen positives in the play of sophomore quarterback Colin Reardon. A sophomore by way of Poland, Ohio, Reardon has connected on 47 of his 81 pass attempts for 477 yards and four touchdowns so far this season.
Perhaps even more impressively, Reardon has only thrown one interception in KSU's first two games, an improvement from a freshman campaign that saw him throw nine picks in 316 attempts. The 6'1", 202-pounder has also showed some ability with his legs, rushing for 336 yards and two touchdowns a season ago.
Facing a Buckeyes passing defense that surrendered several critical third-down conversions to the Hokies, Reardon could have the opportunity to make a name for himself on Saturday. Ohio State, meanwhile, will attempt to apply ample pressure to the sophomore signal-caller, in hopes of ending this weekend's contest before it even really starts.
What They're Saying
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Having gotten his head coaching career started at Bowling Green in 2001, Meyer is no stranger to Kent State or the Mid-American Conference. Asked about his two seasons with the Falcons, Meyer said that it's impossible to measure how valuable his time in the MAC was for his career.
"It's a great opportunity, especially in that conference because you recruit all the same players. That's why I love the MAC conference," Meyer said. "That team comes out of the locker room and they all look alike. Usually the team with the quarterback wins that conference, and there have been some phenomenal quarterbacks come out of the MAC conference, really good players, too, but they don't have the depth. But it's a really good coaching league because for the most part they're all about the same talent wise."
As for how his team's holding up following its first regular-season loss since he arrived in Columbus, Meyer said that the Buckeyes are hurting, but they know that not all is lost. There's still a long way to go between now and the end of the season, and Ohio State's goals—at least the public ones—remain on the table.
"Everything we're shooting for is playing for championships in November, and that's still right at our disposal," Meyer said. "I mean, we've got a heck of a long way to go, but you put your heart and your mind into that of a 19-year-old, and everything's still there, and I see that. Look, they're still hurting. They'll take our lead and take my lead and I'm still hurting, so we'll be ready by tonight, get it out of our system and go."
Likewise, Kent State is focused on getting its season back on track after a disappointing start. Haynes says that one key to the Golden Flashes doing just that will be making the most of first downs, in order to put themselves in easier situations offensively.
“We have to do a better job of winning on first downs so we don’t put ourselves in a hole,” Haynes said, per Kent Wire. “There is a lot of football to be played, and we just have to look at the things we’re not doing well and improve.”
Prediction
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While several questions surround the Buckeyes, it's hard to imagine the talent gap between Ohio State and Kent State not showing early and often on Saturday. Navy and Virginia Tech were much more formidable foes for the Buckeyes in their first two games of the season, making this weekend the perfect opportunity for Ohio State to regain some obviously lost confidence.
Look for the Buckeyes to build momentum in the passing game, as the Flashes hardly possess the personnel to stifle Ohio State like the Hokies did last weekend. It could be a big game for sophomore receiver Michael Thomas, who has emerged as the Buckeyes' top possession receiver in the first two games of the season.
Of course a big blowout would require the OSU offense to be explosive, something which it hasn't shown signs of so far this season. I expect that to change this Saturday though, with a big showing from the Buckeyes heading into their bye week.
Final score: Ohio State 42, Kent State 17
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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