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Wk 1 · 2026

Ball State Cardinals at Ohio State Buckeyes — Sat, Sep 5

Sat, Sep 5 · Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH · BTN FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Ball State Cardinals
MAC · 1-5
3
at
12:30pET
OSU -49.5 · total 55.5 DraftKings opened -50.5 · 1 toward BALL
Ratings differential OSU by 49.9
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten · 5-1
56

What is at stake

A non-conference game. It moves both overall records but neither conference race. Ohio State is ranked #5 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Ball State: -20.8#133
Efficiency margin
Ohio State: +26.7#3
Ball State: 21.2
Offense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 44.4
Ball State: 33.0
Defense (pts/100)
Ohio State: 8.6
Ball State: 63.0
Pace (plays/g)
Ohio State: 68.7
Ball State: 4.89
Yards / play
Ohio State: 7.33
Ball State: 6.86
Yards / play allowed
Ohio State: 4.00
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Ball State: 18.3
Points / game
Ohio State: 42.7
Ball State: 39.0
Points allowed
Ohio State: 13.2
Ball State: 308
Yards / game
Ohio State: 504
Ball State: 467
Yards allowed
Ohio State: 247
Ball State: 248
Pass yds allowed
Ohio State: 151
Ball State: 219
Rush yds allowed
Ohio State: 96
Ball State: 1.00
Turnovers / game
Ohio State: 1.00
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Ball State form

L 14-45at NUL 24-39vs TOLL 13-26at KENTL 15-51at LIBW 41-17vs STBK
2026 season

Ohio State form

W 45-16vs MDW 31-14at IOWAW 42-19vs ILLW 59-3vs KENTL 23-24at TEX
2026 season

Ball State this season

Straight up1-5 · 17% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Over / under5-1 · 83% (6 games)

Ohio State this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 2

OpponentBall StateOhio State
Kent State
MAC
at L 13-26 previewvs W 59-3 preview
Northwestern
Big Ten
at L 14-45 previewvs Wk 11 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Ohio State leads 1–0 · Ohio State won the last one
1 meeting in 2006–2026 · average margin 53.0 points toward Ohio State
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-05Ball State 3 — 56 Ohio Stateat OSUOhio State

Ball State leaders 2026 regular season

PassingKeldric Luster QB #676/119, 662 YDS, 5 TD, 3 INT
Tyler Mizzell QB #919/33, 209 YDS, 1 TD
RushingTJ Horton RB #437 CAR, 301 YDS, 4 TD
Jalen Bonds RB #224 CAR, 126 YDS, 2 TD
Johnny Thompson Jr. RB #2024 CAR, 74 YDS
ReceivingDonovan Hamilton WR #120 REC, 220 YDS, 1 TD
Jamarion McDougle WR #1012 REC, 135 YDS
Jabari Smith WR #512 REC, 132 YDS, 2 TD
Isaiah Thacker WR #1113 REC, 112 YDS
Defense
TacklesSterling Smith DB #135
Cincear Lewis LB #626
Quentavius Scandrett DB #3325
SacksLayton Starks LB #111.5
Jared Badie LB #311
Ka'Shawn Thomas DT #941
InterceptionsKamron Chamble DB #132
Cedric Franklin II DB #181
full roster and per-player history

Ohio State leaders 2026 regular season

PassingJulian Sayin QB #10103/142, 1530 YDS, 13 TD, 1 INT
Luke Fahey QB #139/11, 203 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
RushingBo Jackson RB #2566 CAR, 353 YDS, 2 TD
Ja'Kobi Jackson RB #2445 CAR, 278 YDS, 6 TD
Isaiah West RB #3222 CAR, 80 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingJeremiah Smith WR #444 REC, 823 YDS, 9 TD
Devin McCuin WR #317 REC, 245 YDS, 2 TD
Brandon Inniss WR #110 REC, 147 YDS, 1 TD
Brock Boyd WR #116 REC, 110 YDS
Defense
TacklesEarl Little Jr. S #126
Payton Pierce LB #2626
Jaylen McClain S #820
SacksKenyatta Jackson Jr. DE #23
Riley Pettijohn LB #52
Qua Russaw DE #41
InterceptionsJaylen McClain S #82
Tarvos Alford LB #171
Riley Pettijohn LB #51
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.