Ohio State vs. Ohio Preview: Dual-Threat Quarterback Parker Navarro, Battle-Tested Bobcats Should Provide Better Resistance in Final Nonconference Tune-Up

Presented by First Bank of Central Ohio

Ohio

Bobcats

1-1

roster  |  schedule

SEP. 13, 2025 - 7 PM ET

Ohio Stadium

Columbus, OH

PEA-28.5

Ohio State’s final nonconference cupcake is here before Big Ten play, though calling Ohio a cupcake is a bit of an overstatement given how its year has started.

The Bobcats took Rutgers down to the wire on the road in a 34-31 loss before upsetting West Virginia 17-10 before a home crowd in one of their biggest regular-season wins in recent memory. Regular season needed to be specified there because Ohio won the MAC championship in 2024.

Anything less than Buckeye dominance will be a disappointment for the team’s faithful, but Ohio’s offense with a dual-threat quarterback and defense off a strong performance vs. the Mountaineers should both provide some resistance to Ohio State’s efforts. 

“They’re a really good team. We’re not gonna underestimate them,” Ohio State linebacker Payton Pierce said on Wednesday. “They play fast, got a fast quarterback. We’re just gonna do our job. It’s never really about them. It’s about us.”

Headlines

Rush Lane Discipline

Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro is as dual-threat as dual-threat gets at the position. He gobbled up 1,046 rushing yards at a clip of 6.5 yards per carry – that’s with sacks included – in his first year as a starter in 2024, with 18 touchdowns on the ground. He was No. 5 among all FBS quarterbacks in rushing yards and No. 4 in rushing scores.

Through two games of 2025 against Power Four defenses, Navarro is at an even more torrid pace running the football, averaging 9.5 more yards per game and 0.2 more yards per carry than last year. In total, he has 27 carries for 180 yards and one touchdown.

“You got to be aware of him at all times,” Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles said. “Whether it's plus-one runs; whether it's he drops back, his first read’s not there and he's scrambling; you got to have your eyes on him. And we got to do a really good job in our pass rush lanes. We can't let him get outside the pocket, extend plays and make plays downfield or scramble for the first down.”

Navarro is also no slouch throwing the football. He torched Rutgers for 239 yards and three touchdowns, though his 247-yard, one-score performance against West Virginia was marred by three interceptions. He has a 69.4% completion rate on the year. But as much as anything, Ohio State’s pass rushers will need to keep him inside the pocket with rush-lane discipline – which may mean another low-sack outing for the Buckeyes – if the team wants to pull away as fast as it desires on Saturday.

Sharpening the Attack

Ohio State came out in its Week 2 game against Grambling State with an aggressive game plan that worked in several personnel packages and a rare sighting of no-huddle tempo after the Buckeyes largely went with a methodical approach in 2024 and against Texas in Week 1. Could more of the same be on tap tomorrow?

More of the playbook was clearly open to new play caller Brian Hartline and new quarterback Julian Sayin vs. the Tigers than vs. the Longhorns, where Ohio State played conservatively and trusted its defense to carry it to a 14-7 victory. Sayin took deep shots down the field to tight end Will Kacmarek and star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, connecting on all of them. He finished 18-of-19 for 306 yards and four touchdowns with his first career interception.

“When you can get some of these first-time things behind you, it is good. But that's it — no more interceptions (laughs), not allowed,” Ryan Day said after the Grambling State game.

Sayin’s shown decisiveness and accuracy through his first two starts, with a completion percentage of 79.5% and an average time to throw of 2.61 seconds per Pro Football Focus. The latter number would have ranked ninth among all NFL quarterbacks in 2024. A step back up in competition against a Bobcats secondary with some playmakers should benefit him as he gains more command and confidence.

Another Iconic Band Pairing

Last week, the marching bands were perhaps a bigger attraction than the football, with the “World Famed” Tiger Marching Band linking up with The Best Damn Band in the Land. TBDBITL will be joined by another famous group of marchers in the Shoe this weekend.

Ohio University’s Marching 110 might not be exactly 110 pieces anymore, now up to 225, but their list of achievements is near to Ohio State and Grambling State’s bands. The 110 were the first marching band to perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, they’ve played at more than 40 NFL halftime shows and three Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades.

TBDBITL and the Marching 110 are teaming up for Saturday’s halftime show in a joint performance. It’s hard to envision better back-to-back weeks for marching bands in the Shoe than what’s closed Ohio State’s nonconference schedule.

On Saturday, The Ohio State University Marching Band and the @marching110 are coming together for a combined halftime show! Stay in your seats for a show that you wont want to miss! pic.twitter.com/Vq1iQYsvbE

— The Ohio State University Marching Band (@TBDBITL) September 9, 2025

Watch Out for These Guys

Ohio Safeties Adonis Williams Jr. and DJ Walker

Both of the Bobcats’ safeties are team captains and tone-setters for their defense. Williams has 14 tackles with one tackle for loss, and Walker has 13 tackles with one TFL and a quarterback hurry. Both are veterans of the Ohio defense, combining for 87 tackles in 2024.

Ohio WR Chase Hendricks

Hendricks has been on a tear in a breakout junior season for Ohio, picking up 17 receptions for 236 yards and a touchdown in two games. He collected 121 of the Bobcats’ 247 receiving yards and their only scoring catch against the Mountaineers last week. He had 40 receptions for 471 yards and a touchdown in 2024.

Ohio WR Chase Kendricks (@ChaseHendricks_) went off in the Bobcats upset over West Virginia.

The junior wideout racked up 8 catches, 121 yards, and a touchdown his second 100+ yard game already this season. Dude is a problem for defenses.#OUohyeah #MACtion #G5 pic.twitter.com/1Qhn17qAPi

— Bryan (@BGauvin23) September 10, 2025

Ohio State DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Defensive end play is critical to containing a mobile quarterback, and Ohio State is still waiting on the big pop expected from Jackson on the edge this season. After Styles said at Big Ten Media Days that Jackson looked like a first-round NFL draft pick, Jackson has just three tackles and no TFLs through two games, though he missed the fourth quarter against Texas with an injury. Keep an eye on the discipline of he, Caden Curry, Beau Atkinson and C.J. Hicks throughout the contest, even if the production stays slow another week. 

Game Week Talk

“I still talk to the coaches to this day. Some of my best friends are still on that team. That opportunity opened up the whole world for me in football, so I'm forever grateful.”– Will Kacmarek on his former team

Will Kacmarek matches up with the school that gave him a shot as a two-star recruit in a full-circle moment on Saturday. Eleven Warriors’ own Dan Hope wrote a phenomenal piece about it this week.

RELATEDHow Will Kacmarek Went from Two-Star Recruit to Ohio Bobcat to Impact Player at Ohio State

“Two of the best receivers in the country, for sure. So, definitely, our defense has their hands full with that one.”– Ohio head coach Brian Smith on Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith

Ohio head coach Brian Smith incorrectly identified Caleb Downs as one of the two "best receivers in the country” alongside Jeremiah Smith during his press conference on Monday. Whether he misheard the reporter or misremembered what position Downs plays, it’s a hilarious comment that could be motivating to Downs if he chooses to do the Michael Jordan meme (take it personally). 

“I think it's great for the state of Ohio. I know OU has a very proud tradition, and there's a lot of Ohio players on the roster who are going to come into the shoe and want to play really hard and play really well and win the game.”– Ryan Day on the benefits of scheduling a game with the in-state Bobcats

Ohio is as football-crazed a state as there is in America, so seeing two teams from the state match up on the gridiron is always a great showcase. Even if Ohio State hasn’t lost to another team from the Buckeye State in 104 years, going 52-0-1 in that timeframe. The lone tie came against Wooster in 1924.

Get Smart

• Ohio State has won all seven of its previous matchups with Ohio. Its most recent win over the Bobcats, a 43-7 victory in 2010, was vacated due to “Tattoo-Gate.”
• Ohio State is 52-0-1 in its last 53 games against in-state opponents. The Buckeyes haven’t lost to an Ohio school since a 7-6 loss to Oberlin in 1921.
• Ohio State is 38-1 all-time against current MAC teams with 38 straight wins. The Buckeyes’ only loss to a current MAC team was a 12-6 loss to Akron in 1894.
• Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek played for Ohio from 2021-23.
• Ohio State program assistant Tyler Walton, the son of co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tim Walton, played wide receiver for Ohio from 2018-23.
• The game will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock, marking the third straight year that one Ohio State game that has aired only on Peacock.
• Ohio State has designated Saturday night’s game as a “Helmet Stripe” game. Fans in the south end zone are asked to wear red, white or black depending on which section they are in, while fans throughout the rest of the stadium are asked to wear gray.
• Ohio State basketball great Clark Kellogg will be the pregame Victory Bell ringer.

How It Plays Out

Line: Ohio State -28.5, O/U 49.5

While Ohio is a stronger foe than most Group of Five teams, there's still a clear talent discrepancy between the Bobcats and the Buckeyes. Ohio State is rolling in with momentum, and the emotions for Ohio might be hard to recover properly from its giant win over the Mountaineers last week.

Eleven Warriors staff all have Ohio State covering in this one. Expect some more playing time for the Buckeyes' younger depth pieces before an open week to rest up and the start of Big Ten play at Washington.

Eleven Warriors Staff Prediction
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