Ball State has never played Ohio State in football; Saturday’s opener is the first meeting. The setting makes that introduction especially unforgiving. No Ohio school has beaten Ohio State in Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes are 49-0-1 against in-state opponents.
Kickoff is Saturday, Sept. 5, at 12:30 p.m. ET on BTN. The Fan Watch model gives Ball State a 0.4% chance to win. Enjoy the possibility of something historic, certainly, but do not make the final margin the only test of whether the afternoon offered anything useful.
Watch the operation up front
The best realistic standard is whether Ball State can keep its offense functional when the setting and opponent begin creating stress. Left tackle Chris Hood, center Cole Mosier and right tackle Tristan Cook started every game last season and entered this preseason with 43 combined career starts. On a roster containing 58 newcomers, including 34 transfers, that trio is the clearest place to look for calm.
Watch whether the Cardinals communicate before the snap, avoid free rushers and create enough clean plays for the quarterback operation to breathe. That matters because Keldric Luster and Tyler Mizzell handled most of the first-team work in the spring showcase after Kiael Kelly accounted for 1,583 of Ball State’s 1,679 passing yards in 2025. Sustained drives, manageable downs and orderly responses after mistakes would be meaningful evidence even if the score gets away.
Ball State’s veteran line is the afternoon’s foothold. Its communication and protection can give an unsettled backfield something usable even if Ohio State’s stadium history remains intact.
See the full interactive guide and Fan Watch methodology.