True freshman set to benefit as Ohio State enters Week 2 action with record-breaking betting odds on the line
The Ohio State Buckeyes are riding a high after beating No. 1 Texas 14-7 last week, and the expectation has been set. While the Buckeyes were a lock to be big favorites in Week 2’s matchup with Grambling State, few expected a program-record spread. With that in mind, starting quarterback Julian Sayin isn’t the only […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes are riding a high after beating No. 1 Texas 14-7 last week, and the expectation has been set. While the Buckeyes were a lock to be big favorites in Week 2’s matchup with Grambling State, few expected a program-record spread. With that in mind, starting quarterback Julian Sayin isn’t the only young passer who can get some quality reps in against lower competition.
Sayin will be making only his second career start; the Buckeyes have more talent to get on the field in the midst of a blowout win. After Sayin logs one solid half, head coach Ryan Day will have the opportunity to get redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz and true freshman Tavien St. Clair into the game.
St. Clair has yet to see action, and the five-star is regarded as the future of the program after Sayin departs. Ideally, Sayin will play well enough in 2025 and 2026 to then jump to the NFL. St. Clair would be the logical replacement as he enters Year 3.
Ohio State Betting Odds vs. Grambling State
Ohio State is heading into Saturday’s matchup against Grambling State as a historic favorite, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the Buckeyes as 55.5-point favorites, the largest betting line in the program’s history. According to Odds Shark’s database, which tracks betting lines back to 1990, Ohio State’s previous high was a 52-point spread against Rutgers in 2019, a game they won 56-21.
This 55.5-point spread surpasses the largest college football spread in recent years, set when LSU was favored by 56.5 points against Grambling State in 2023, resulting in a 72-10 victory. The over/under for the Ohio State-Grambling State game is 62.5, suggesting an expected score of around 59-3.
Ohio State’s massive favoritism follows their rise to the No. 1 spot in both the AP and Coaches Polls after a 14-7 victory over then-top-ranked Texas last week. Meanwhile, Grambling State, an FCS team with a 5-7 record last season, opened their campaign with a 55-7 win over NAIA’s Langston. Grambling’s head coach, Mickey Joseph, candidly admitted during a press conference that the team is playing this game for a $1 million payout from Ohio State.
“We understand what we’re getting into. We understand what’s gonna happen. We understand there’s not balance in the scholarship, there’s not balance in what they have resources-wise and what we have resources-wise. We all know why we’re playing the game,” Joseph said.
Historically, Ohio State has dominated FCS opponents, winning their four previous games against such teams by an average of 44.75 points. Their only prior game against an HBCU was a 76-0 rout of Florida A&M in 2013. Other FCS matchups include victories over Youngstown State in 2007 (38-6), 2008 (43-0), and 2003 (35-7).
