Caden Curry had a career day for Ohio State (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
The top teams in the state of Ohio are in good shape after the first quarter of the 2025 regular season. Ohio State is unsurprisingly and strongly leading the way. Cincinnati looks like they will compete in the Big 12. Ohio and Toledo look ready to fight for a MAC Championship. Dayton and Youngstown State are poised to make strong pushes in the FCS. College football in Ohio looks good.
#1 Ohio State 4-0 (1-0 in the Big Ten)
The Buckeyes were on the road against a team that hadn’t lost in their stadium since November of 2021. They were facing a disciplined defense and elite playmakers on the other side of the ball. Ohio State, however, brought their own stars, particularly along the defensive line, and they led them to a 24-6 victory. Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and company did their thing on offense, but it was Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry who dominated and led the way to the Ohio State victory.
Cincinnati 3-1 (1-0 in the Big 12)
The Bearcats got a big win on the road against Kansas. It’ll depend on how they build off of it, but this could be a defining moment for the Scott Satterfield Era at UC and for the Cats in the Big 12. They got into an old-fashioned shootout against the Jayhawks and had the final chance to finish it, and they did! That’s the difference, as they have struggled to finish under Satterfield, but they finished in Lawrence for a big 37-34 victory.
Miami (Ohio) 1-3 (0-0 in the MAC) vs. Lindenwood
The Redhawks had a rough first quarter of their 2025 season. They lost their first three games, their third to UNLV, in a heartbreaker. When you schedule two Big Ten teams and a great Group of Five program, you need a layup game afterward in case you’re 0-3 like Miami was coming into the game against Lindenwood. They won 38-0 to have some momentum and positivity as they head into MAC play, on the road, at Northern Illinois.
Ohio 3-2 (1-0 in the MAC)
The Bobcats are a rough fourth quarter against Rutgers from being 4-1 and one of the top Group of Five teams in America. They beat Bowling Green 35-20. The Bobcats have a fantastic offense built around quarterback Parker Navarro, and when their defense does just enough, they can win big games. They head to Muncie, Indiana, this week to take on Ball State, who is currently 1-3.
Bowling Green 2-3 (0-1 in the MAC)
Eddie George’s squad is 2-3, and while it’s not pretty, it’s not panic time. You can tell that they are a program that is building and figuring out who they are and who they want to be. They lost to Ohio, 35-20, but they still have plenty of football to play. They have this week off to prepare themselves for their biggest rivalry game against Toledo in the Battle of I-75 on October 11th.
Toledo 3-2 (1-1 in the MAC)
The Rockets recovered from their heartbreaking loss to WMU with a beatdown of poor Akron. They crushed the Zips in the Glass Bowl, 45-3. Everything was clicking for Toledo; the offense was explosive, the defense was tough, and they steadied themselves to end September. They, too, have next week off, so both teams will be fresh in the Battle of I-75 between Toledo and Bowling Green on October 11th.
Akron 1-3 (0-0 in the MAC)
There’s not much to say about Akron right now. The Zips couldn’t build off their lone win and were just crushed by Toledo. Things don’t get any easier as they host Central Michigan this Saturday.
Kent State 1-3 (0-1 in the MAC)
The Golden Flashes had this week off. Next week, they’ll hit the road to battle another power program, the Oklahoma Sooners.
Dayton 3-1 (1-0 in the Pioneer League)
The Flyers got Pioneer League play off on the right foot with a massive 48-14 win over Stetson. Fittingly, Dayton was lethal through the air. Quarterback Bryce Schondelmyer was 19 of 23 for 333 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite target, receiver Michael Mussari, had a fantastic game, making eight catches for 169 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Dayton plays on the road this weekend at Moorehead State, who is 2-3 in 2025.
Youngstown State 3-1 (0-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference)
The #24 Youngstown State Penguins had the week off. Next week, they begin Missouri Valley Football Conference play. It’s a tough opener as the #2 South Dakota State Jack Rabbits come to Youngstown.
Bill Willis Award Player of the Week
I’m trying something new here, where I give an Ohio Player of the Week Award, named after legendary Ohio football player and Hall of Famer, Bill Willis. This week it came down to quarterback Brendan Sorsby of Cincinnati, wide receiver Junior Vandeross of Toledo, and defensive end Caden Curry of Ohio State. I went with Caden Curry because I feel like that was the moment a Buckeye legend who will make a national impact was born. Curry had 11 tackles, nine of them solo, five of them for a loss, and three of them were sacks of the quarterback. An all-American level of play from Caden Curry.
Writer’s Note: The FBS rankings are from The College Football Power Rankings at TheForkball.com. The FCS rankings are from the FCS STATS Poll.
