Kent State @ Ohio State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 13, 2007 ) Kent State 3, Ohio State 48

Ohio State tries to bounce back from having its 25-game regular-season winning streak snapped when it hosts Kent State on Saturday. The No. 18 Buckeyes were stunned 35-21 by Virginia Tech at Ohio Stadium last week, further exposing a running attack that appears lost without 49ers second-round draft pick Carlos Hyde and quarterback Braxton Miller - out for the season with a shoulder injury. It appears Ohio State, which returned one starter on the offensive line, has a good opportunity to right itself as the Golden Flashes yield 180.5 rushing yards per game and do not appear to have an offense potent enough to consistently keep the Buckeyes off the field.

“We have a lot of things different right now, and offensively we have to fit our skill set, and what (the current backs) bring to the table is a lot different from what Carlos was able to bring to the table last year,” running backs coach Stan Drayton told the Columbus Dispatch. Ohio State averages 151 rushing yards per game - less than half of the 308.6 per game it produced in 2013 (Hyde 138.3 and Miller 89) when it was third in the nation. Kent State, which was picked to finish fifth in the seven-team East Division of the Mid-American Conference, dropped its first two games - including 23-13 to South Alabama last week - and is struggling on offense.

TV: Noon ET, ABC or ESPN2. LINE: Ohio State -32

ABOUT KENT STATE (0-2): The Golden Flashes are tied for 117th among the 124 FBS teams in scoring at 13.5 points per game and 120th in rushing at 47.5 yards. Sophomore Colin Reardon completes 58 percent of his passes and has thrown for four touchdowns including one to senior Chris Humphrey, who has recorded a reception in 22 straight contests. Golden Flashes coach Paul Haynes makes his return to Ohio Stadium after serving as a Buckeyes defensive assistant from 2005-11.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (1-1): Freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, thrust into the fray when Miller went down in August, leads the Buckeyes in rushing despite losing 54 yards on seven sacks - six in the final 8:11 - against Virginia Tech. “Gutsy effort by our quarterback,” coach Urban Meyer told reporters. “Obviously not good enough, but a quarterback is a product of those around him, and we all have to get better.” Freshman and sophomores have accounted for six of Ohio State's seven touchdowns, with sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott (20 carries, 74 yards) and sophomore wide receiver Michael Thomas (nine catches, 137 yards) scoring two apiece.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The loss to Virginia Tech was Meyer's first in 36 non-conference home games spanning his 13-year career at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State.

2. Ohio State, which has won 38 straight against in-state opponents, is 29-1 against the MAC while Kent State is 1-12 versus the Big Ten, defeating Rutgers 35-23 in 2012.

3. The Buckeyes won both previous meetings, including 48-3 in 2007 in the last encounter.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 38, Kent State 7