The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will travel to take on the #4-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in week 3 of the college football season on Saturday afternoon. Western Kentucky enters this game with a record of 2-0 following wins at home against the South Florida Bulls by a score of 41-24 and the Houston Christian Huskies in week 2 by a score of 52-22 while the Ohio State Buckeyes enter this game with a record of 2-0 following wins on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers by a score of 23-3 and at home against the Youngstown State Penguins by a score of 35-7. 

Will the Ohio State Buckeyes win in a rout to improve to 3-0 on the season or will the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers keep the game closer than Vegas projects? Let’s take a closer look at how these teams are faring this season.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers enter this game with a record of 2-0 following a 52-22 win at home against the Houston Christian Huskies, an FCS team, in week 2 of the college football season while failing to cover the 41.5-point spread as a favorite at home. The Hilltoppers scored 52 points while compiling 433 total yards offensively which included 318 passing yards and 115 rushing yards while allowing 22 points and 368 total yards defensively which included 213 passing yards and 155 rushing yards. 

Austin Reed led the team in passing, completing 27 of 33 attempts for 253 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 14 yards and a touchdown. Markese Stepp led the team in rushing with nine carries for 48 yards. Easton Messer led the team in receiving with nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Ohio State enters this game ranked 6^th in the AP Poll and 4^th in the Coaches Poll with a record of 2-0 following a 35-7 win at home against the Youngstown State Penguins while failing to cover the 45.5-point spread as a favorite at home in week 2 of the college football season. Kyle McCord led the team in passing, completing 14 of 20 attempts for 258 yards and three touchdowns. 

TreVeyon Henderson led the team in rushing with five carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns while adding two receptions for 18 yards. Marvin Harrison Jr. led the team in receiving, catching seven of 12 targets for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

BookMaker has the Ohio State Buckeyes listed as 27-point favorites at home against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in week 3 of the college football season on Saturday. This will be the first time in history that these two teams will face each other in college football. Western Kentucky is 1-1 ATS overall this season while the Ohio State Buckeyes are 0-2 ATS overall, 0-1 ATS at home, and 0-2 ATS as a favorite this year.

Ohio State is the superior team in terms of talent this season and will not have any trouble coming away with the win in this matchup, however, the Buckeyes have struggled to cover the spread this season as favorites going 0-2 ATS overall and 0-2 ATS as a favorite this season. I look for that trend to continue in this matchup which is why I am taking the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +27 on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday in week 3 of the college football season on BookMaker.