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

Radio: Ohio State Football Radio Network, Kent State iHeartRadio

Spread: Ohio State (-26.5), via Odds Shark