The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday in a Week 1 college football matchup on Big Ten Network.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 12-2 season in 2025, losing their final two games against eventual national champion Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game and runner-up Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Ohio State lost seven defensive starters from last season, including three top-11 picks in this spring’s NFL Draft. Those are significant losses from a 2025 defense that ranked No. 1 in the FBS in scoring defense (9.3 PPG), total defense (219.1 YPG) and pass defense (129.7 YPG), while allowing just seven passing touchdowns all season.
The good news is that quarterback and Heisman finalist Julian Sayin returns after a historic freshman season in which he completed 77.0% of his passes for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns. He’ll be joined by arguably the best player in all college football in Jeremiah Smith.
Meanwhile, Ball State will look to bounce back from a 4-8 season a year ago. The Cardinals have completely overhauled their roster, bringing in more than 50 new players through the transfer portal. That includes starting quarterback Keldric Luster, who began his career at SMU before transferring to Texas State.
Let’s take a look at the odds for Ohio State vs. Ball State at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 5.
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Ball State @ No. 1 Ohio State Odds
Spread
- Ohio State -50.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
- Ball State +50.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Over/Under
- Over 56.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
- Under 56.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Ball State @ No. 1 Ohio State Prediction, Pick
From FOX Sports Research:
In six career games against MAC opponents, Ryan Day has won by an average of 51.5 points per game. The books did a great job setting this spread at 50.5, but there are plenty of reasons to believe the Buckeyes can still cover. Ball State quarterback Keldric Luster will make his first career college start at “The Shoe” on Saturday. That sounds like a recipe for disaster against the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Turnovers could be a major factor in his first start, potentially giving Ohio State’s defense opportunities to score or set up the offense with short fields. And this Buckeyes offense is loaded. Not only does it feature Smith, but five-star true freshman Chris Henry Jr. adds another explosive weapon. Ohio State has the talent throughout its depth chart to keep scoring even when the starters come out. Laying more than 50 points is never easy, but it feels like the play here.
The Pick: Ohio State -50.5
How to Watch Ohio State vs. Ball State
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 5. 2026
- Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- TV: BTN
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
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