5 Things Ohio State Must Accomplish in Bounce-Back Game Against Kent State

After suffering a deflating 35-21 upset loss to Virginia Tech last Saturday, Urban Meyer and the No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes are hoping to right the ship in a bounce-back game against Kent State.

The Golden Flashes—fresh off of back-to-back losses to Ohio and South Alabama—will enter Ohio Stadium as 32-point underdogs, according to OddsShark.com.

The Buckeyes should do what they want against their overmatched MAC opponent, and Meyer will want to establish a positive vibe with a bye week on the horizon.

Here are five things Ohio State must accomplish against Kent State this Saturday.

Get Off to a Fast Start

After starting his tenure at Ohio State with 24 consecutive victories, Meyer has watched his Buckeyes drop three of their past four games. A common thread in those three defeats: slow starts.

Against Michigan State, the Buckeyes fell behind 17-0 before they found their bearings. In the Orange Bowl against Clemson, Ohio State lacked a rhythm early and the Tigers built a 20-9 lead. And last week against the Hokies, the Buckeyes trailed 21-7 going into the locker room at halftime.

It’s an alarming trend that Meyer wants to buck.

Getting off to a fast start will be a priority this week.

Hit the Big Plays

Virginia Tech loaded the box to prevent Ohio State from establishing the run and force J.T. Barrett into making quick decisions.

That strategy paid off in a big way for the Hokies, as the Buckeyes failed to take…

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