Ohio State Falls to No. 7 in Updated AP and Coaches Polls Despite Rout of Kent State

Ohio State handled its business against Kent State, but one of the weekend’s biggest games still pushed the Buckeyes down one position in both major polls.

Following their 59–3 victory over the Golden Flashes, the Buckeyes fell from No. 6 to No. 7 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll. The movement was not a reflection of anything Ohio State did wrong against Kent State. Instead, Ole Miss jumped the Buckeyes after earning a 32–24 victory over LSU in one of the weekend’s marquee matchups.

Texas remained No. 1 in both polls after defeating UTSA, with Georgia and Notre Dame holding the next two positions. Ohio State finishes its nonconference schedule at 2–1 and will now turn its attention toward Big Ten play, beginning Saturday against Illinois at Ohio Stadium.

Buckeyes Cruise Past Kent State

Ohio State delivered the response it needed following its loss at Texas, overwhelming Kent State in a game that was never seriously in doubt. The Buckeyes built a 35–0 halftime lead, emptied much of the bench after the break and finished with a 59–3 victory.

Julian Sayin completed 18 of 22 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, while backup Luke Fahey added 141 passing yards and another score. Ohio State finished with 382 passing yards and demonstrated considerably more depth at receiver than it had shown during the loss in Austin.

Jeremiah Smith caught five passes for 85 yards and became Ohio State’s new career leader in receiving yards, passing Michael Jenkins’ previous record of 2,898. Smith now has 3,045 receiving yards in only his third season with the Buckeyes.

The afternoon was not limited to another milestone for Smith. Brandon Inniss caught four passes for 78 yards, including a 49-yard Hail Mary touchdown on the final play of the first half. Freshman Chris Henry Jr. flashed his considerable potential with a 75-yard touchdown reception, while fellow freshman Brock Boyd added four catches for 66 yards.

Defensively, Ohio State prevented Kent State from reaching the end zone and added a score of its own when Jamir Perez returned a fumble 11 yards for a touchdown. Freshman linebacker Riley Pettijohn also recorded the first interception of his Ohio State career.

The final margin was convincing, but there are still areas Ohio State must improve as the competition becomes more difficult. The Buckeyes converted only one of eight third-down attempts and averaged 3.8 yards per rushing attempt. Neither problem mattered against Kent State, but both will become increasingly important now that the Big Ten schedule has arrived.

Ohio State Slips Without Losing Ground

Dropping one position after a 56-point victory may look strange, but this week’s movement was more about Ole Miss than Ohio State.

The Rebels entered the weekend ranked No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll before defeating No. 7 LSU, 32–24. Ole Miss built a 24–7 halftime lead, watched LSU battle back to tie the game and then responded with the decisive touchdown before sealing the victory with an interception in the end zone.

That victory moved Ole Miss all the way to No. 4 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the Coaches Poll. The Rebels jumped Ohio State in both rankings, pushing the Buckeyes down to No. 7.

Ohio State actually gained points in the AP voting, increasing from 1,401 points last week to 1,415 this week. The Buckeyes’ position changed because Ole Miss collected a major résumé victory, not because voters were particularly unimpressed by Ohio State’s performance.

At 2–1, the Buckeyes remain the highest-ranked one-loss team in both polls. Their 45–42 loss at Texas also remains one of the most competitive defeats suffered by any contender through the opening three weeks.

Around the Country: Ole Miss Makes Its Move

Ole Miss delivered the weekend’s most important result by defeating LSU in the first top-10 meeting between the programs since 1962. The Rebels controlled the first half, survived LSU’s comeback attempt and scored the final eight points to remain undefeated.

LSU fell from No. 7 to No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll. The Tigers are still positioned to remain in the playoff race, but their margin for error inside the SEC is already smaller.

Texas remained atop both polls after a 30–6 victory over UTSA. The Longhorns were not nearly as explosive as they had been during their comeback against Ohio State, but their defense allowed only two field goals and kept the outcome under control.

Georgia and Notre Dame also posted comfortable victories. The Bulldogs defeated Arkansas, while the Fighting Irish handled Michigan State to preserve the top three in both polls.

Indiana continued its unbeaten start with a shutout victory and received four first-place votes from AP voters and nine from the coaches. The defending national champions are No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 4 in the Coaches Poll.

Kentucky Delivers the Weekend’s Biggest Upset

The most surprising result came in College Station, where unranked Kentucky defeated No. 9 Texas A&M, 31–21.

Kenny Minchey threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, while CJ Baxter scored twice on the ground. The defeat ended Texas A&M’s regular-season home winning streak and sent the Aggies tumbling 14 positions to No. 23 in the AP poll. They fell from No. 8 to No. 20 with the coaches.

Kentucky did not enter either Top 25 following the victory, but the Wildcats received 98 AP votes and 54 Coaches Poll votes.

Louisville also made a significant move after defeating SMU, 41–31. The Cardinals climbed seven positions to No. 16 in the AP poll and entered the Coaches Poll at No. 19. SMU fell to No. 22 and No. 25, respectively.

Florida returned to both rankings after beating Auburn, 44–39, while Mississippi State entered the AP poll for the first time since 2022. Oklahoma and Virginia dropped out of the AP rankings, while Houston and Virginia exited the Coaches Poll.

Big Ten Picture Begins to Take Shape

Seven Big Ten teams appear in the updated AP Top 25:

• No. 5 Indiana
• No. 7 Ohio State
• No. 12 USC
• No. 13 Penn State
• No. 17 Iowa
• No. 18 Michigan
• No. 20 Oregon

Washington is also ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll and is the first team outside the AP rankings.

Indiana is now the conference’s highest-ranked team, but Ohio State remains firmly in the national championship picture. Penn State, USC and Iowa are undefeated, while Oregon has begun climbing again after its loss to Indiana.

The SEC leads the country with 10 AP-ranked teams, tying a conference record. The Big Ten follows with seven, while the Big 12 has four, the ACC has three and Notre Dame represents the independents.

What Comes Next for Ohio State

The nonconference portion of Ohio State’s schedule is over. From this point forward, the Buckeyes’ opportunities and potential setbacks will come inside the Big Ten.

Ohio State will host Illinois at noon Saturday in the conference opener for both teams. The game will air nationally on FOX as part of the network’s Big Noon Saturday broadcast.

The Fighting Illini are also 2–1 after defeating Southern Illinois, 48–10. Quarterback Katin Houser threw for 305 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the victory. Illinois’ lone loss came against Duke, but Bret Bielema’s team remains physical enough to punish opponents that fail to execute cleanly.

The Buckeyes defeated Illinois, 34–16, last season and have won nine consecutive meetings in the series. Illinois has not beaten Ohio State since its memorable upset in Columbus in 2007.

Saturday will also renew the Battle for the Illibuck. Ohio State leads the all-time series, 69–30–4, and has controlled the rivalry for most of the modern era.

The Buckeyes will enter as a substantial favorite, but the most important part of the matchup will be continuing to address the weaknesses that appeared during the nonconference schedule. Ohio State needs more consistency from its running game and offensive line, especially after averaging fewer than four yards per carry against Kent State. The Buckeyes also cannot afford to continue wasting third-down opportunities once they encounter stronger conference opponents.

At the same time, the passing game showed encouraging signs Saturday. Sayin was efficient, Inniss became more involved, and Henry and Boyd demonstrated that Ohio State has young receivers capable of creating explosive plays. If those options continue to develop around Smith, opposing defenses will have a much harder time concentrating their coverage on the All-American.

The loss to Texas removed Ohio State from the top of the polls, but it did not remove the Buckeyes from the championship race. Ohio State remains the highest-ranked one-loss team in the country, with every major goal still available.

Now the Buckeyes must begin building their case one Big Ten victory at a time.