1
The Mid-American Conference has one win in 11 tries against Big Ten schools this year. Bowling Green won at Minnesota in overtime on the season’s opening weekend.
2
The Golden Flashes have faced two BCS teams this season. They went on the road to beat Iowa State 23-14 in their opener and lost 56-20 at Kentucky the following week.
3
Kent State ranks third in the country in kickoff returns, averaging 29.2 yards per return. Shawn Bayes is the leader with three returns for 129 yards, including one for a touchdown.
5
Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis is fifth in the nation with an average of 141.8 rushing yards per game.
5-5
Jarvis, a sophomore form Pittsburgh Central Catholic, is listed 5-5, 170 pounds.
8
Jim Tressel has faced Kent State eight times in his coaching career. The first seven came while he headed the Youngstown State program in Division I-AA where he posted a 4-3 record against the Golden Flashes.
17
Though they will not be able to add to the total this week, the Buckeyes are riding a 17-game conference winning streak that is tied for the best in school history and two games shy of the all-time record of 19 set by Michigan from 1990-92.
20
Saturday Kent State will face a ranked team for the 20th time in school history. The Golden Flashes lost their first 19. The Buckeyes will serve as the highest-ranked team Kent State has ever faced, with this year’s No. 3 ranking besting the No. 8 tag Ohio State carried when the Golden Flashes visited Ohio Stadium in 2002. That game, a 51-17 Buckeye win, is the only previous meeting between Ohio State and Kent State.
42
Ohio State has forced its opponent to go three-and-out 42 times in 79 possessions this season. That is a rate of 53.2 percent.
47
There are 47 Ohioans on the Kent State roster, including four from central Ohio: freshman linebacker Markus Burton (Columbus Beechcroft), sophomore running back Christen Haywood (Hilliard-Davidson), freshman kicker Kevin Mulvany (Grove City) and freshman lineman Chris Favazzo (Blacklick/St. Charles Prep).
81
The last time Ohio State played three Ohio teams in the same season was 81 years ago in 1926, when the Buckeyes beat Wittenberg, Ohio Wesleyan and Wilmington. For what it’s worth, the third meeting of that season was by far the closest. After Ohio State beat the Tigers and Battling Bishops a combined 87-0 before slipping by the Quakers 13-7. The close shave with Wilmington came one week before a 17-16 loss to Michigan.
104
Kent State ranks 104th in the nation in turnover margin. Ohio State is No. 65. Both have more giveaways than takeaways.