The Ohio Bobcats will head into Columbus to take on the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night. Ohio State is off to a dream start to this season and will look to avoid any trouble before conference play begins. But Ohio already has a power conference win this season and is trying to get another one here. Before this all-Ohio matchup from Columbus, keep reading to get my Ohio vs Ohio State prediction.
Our Ohio vs Ohio State Pick
- Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes -31.5
- Confidence: 4/5
- Get Your Bonus Bets: Use BetMGM promo code ATSBONUS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets back if your first bet doesn’t win!
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+ 
4.5/5
✓ Any Sport Odds Boosts
✓ Free to Play MLB Game
✓ Easy Parlay Builder
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
✓ Any Sport Odds Boosts
✓ Free to Play MLB Game
✓ Easy Parlay Builder
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ohio Bobcats vs Ohio State Buckeyes
- Date & Time: Saturday, September 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
- Broadcast: Peacock
Key Storylines
- Big Stage for Navarro: Ohio’s graduate QB Parker Navarro is coming off a 239-yard, three-touchdown game through the air in a win over West Virginia. He also had 93 yards rushing in that game to earn MAC Offensive Player of the Week. His dual-threat ability will be critical if Ohio hopes to keep this close.
- Elite Buckeye Offense: Ohio State boasts an elite receiver room and has shifted play-calling duties to Brian Hartline. They got their offense back on track after a slow start against Texas by hanging 70 points on FCS Grambling. They will be expected to build on that performance against a Group of Five opponent here.
- New Ohio State Defense: Matt Patricia has stepped in as defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes. Ohio State held Texas to seven points before shutting out Grambling State. So far so good from Patricia’s new defense.
- Power Gap: Ohio State has won 20 straight games against Mid-American Conference teams and is undefeated at home in recent seasons.
Quarterback Play
- Parker Navarro (Ohio): Navarro has led Ohio to competing with two power conference opponents so far this year. This will be his biggest test so far and his performance will be interesting to monitor here.
- Julian Sayin (Ohio State): Sayin has been just fine so far this year for the Buckeyes. He has five touchdown passes and one interception. He wasn’t great against Texas but did enough to help his team get the win. He will attempt to continue moving in the right direction here.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Both of these teams are 2-0 against the spread so far this season.
- These teams are both 1-1 on over/unders to this point in the season.
- Ohio State and Ohio have played just three times all-time. Ohio State is 3-0 in those games and all three of those games were decided by double-digits.
Ohio vs Ohio State Model Projection
Score Projection: Ohio State 45 – Ohio 10
Win Probability: Ohio State 95%, Ohio 5%
Final Thoughts
I give a lot of credit to Ohio for playing tough teams early this season. But I think we are going to see them look worse in this game than they did in their first two. Ohio State’s defense is an entirely different animal and I think that Ohio State will blow out the Bobcats and cover the spread.
