After a pair of easy home wins to start out their season, the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Berkeley to face California and Sonny Dykes' Bear Raid offense. Television coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on Fox.
How to watch Ohio State vs. California: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Ohio State faces a road test against the Bear Raid.
Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State began the season with a 40-20 win over Buffalo in a game that saw the Bulls narrow a 23-point first-quarter deficit to just 10 points in the fourth quarter. After an injury suffered by Braxton Miller in the Buckeyes' 42-7 rout of San Diego State, Kenny Guiton came in at quarterback and totaled two touchdowns and an interception in the win.
The Sonny Dykes era has gotten off to a rocky start in Berkeley. While the Bears lead the nation in passing offense, they lost their opener to Northwestern and squeaked by FCS opponent Portland State with a seven-point win in Week 2. Cal plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation, with five ranked teams (including three of the top five teams in the nation) left on their schedule, and the Bears will have to work some magic to get to a bowl game.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Ohio State is ranked fourth in the AP Poll with one first-place vote and third in the Coaches’ Poll with two first-place votes. The Buckeyes hold a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last six matchups between the two schools.
Vegas: Ohio State opened as a 14.5-point favorite. OddsShark has more.
Weather: A high of 73, mostly sunny.
Three names to know
Jared Goff. Cal's true freshman quarterback leads the nation in passing with nearly 1,000 yards through the air in just two games. He needs to find a bit more consistency, as he has just four touchdowns against three interceptions on the year.
Jordan Hall. The Buckeye running back is averaging 117 yards per game on the ground and has scored three touchdowns. Ohio State will look to dominate the ground game between the two teams, and that starts with Hall.
Noah Spence. Ohio State's sophomore defensive end has 1.5 sacks on the year and is a force of nature rushing off the edge. He will try to disrupt Goff's prolific passing attack Saturday.
Two things at stake
An Ohio State loss would significantly hamper its chances at BCS championship game bid, with a tough Big Ten schedule ahead.
A California win would be a huge early victory for Sonny Dykes in Berkeley after an inauspicious beginning to his coaching tenure.
How to witness
TV: 7 p.m. ET on Fox.
Radio: Here’s a list of Ohio State affiliates. Scroll down here for one from Cal.
Online streaming: None.
Further reading
For your Ohio State perspective and analysis, go to Land-Grant Holy Land. For Cal’s side of things, go to California Golden Blogs.
More from SB Nation:
The 36 best photos from college football’s Week 2
1/36Joshua S. Kelly - USA Today Sports
See More:
