COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State will close its nonconference schedule Saturday against Kent State, giving the sixth-ranked Buckeyes a chance to regroup after a painful loss to Texas. The game is scheduled for noon at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State enters as a heavy favorite, with the point spread listed at more than 50 points, while Kent State arrives with a 1-1 record after splitting its first two games. The Buckeyes’ previous outing ended with a 24-23 loss to Texas after Ohio State built a 20-point lead. Texas entered the week ranked No. 1, raising the stakes around Ohio State’s response against an in-state opponent from the Mid-American Conference. Kent State opened the season at South Carolina, an SEC opponent, and was shut out 57-0. It was the third straight season the Golden Flashes had been blanked by an SEC team. The Golden Flashes rebounded Saturday with a 36-15 victory over Wofford at Zoeller Field. Kent State trailed by one point after three quarters before scoring three touchdowns in the fourth. The team finished with nearly 300 more yards than Wofford. Kent State has been trying to stabilize its program after a difficult stretch. The Golden Flashes went a combined 1-23 in 2023 and 2024, then improved to 5-7 last season. The team will begin Mid-American Conference play Sept. 26 by hosting Ball State, another opponent Ohio State faced this season. Mark Carney, a 46-year-old Cleveland native, is in his first full season as Kent State’s head coach. Carney joined the program as its receivers and tight ends coach in 2023, moved to offensive coordinator in 2024 and took over as interim head coach in 2025. During that interim tenure, Carney led Kent State to its first Football Bowl Subdivision victory since 2022, a 42-6 win over UMass on Oct. 11, 2025. A win over Bowling Green later that month helped earn him the permanent job. Junior quarterback Dru DeShields, a Beloit, Ohio, native, is in his second season as Kent State’s starter. He accounted for 21 touchdowns and threw only three interceptions last season. Through the opening games this year, DeShields has thrown one touchdown and two interceptions while rushing for more than 100 yards and two scores. Sophomore receiver Wayne Harris of Charleston, West Virginia, is among the Golden Flashes’ leading targets. Harris has already matched his touchdown total from last season. Da’Realyst Clark and Hunter Hopperton are additional receivers to watch. On defense, senior linebacker Rocco Nicholl has made an early impact after returning to Kent State following a season at South Florida. The Philadelphia native has recorded 13 tackles and two sacks. Saturday’s matchup is also part of a changing conference landscape. The 2026 season is scheduled to be the second-to-last year in which Kent State and the other MAC schools play four nonconference games. Beginning in 2028, the conference plans to move to a nine-game league schedule and three nonconference games.