Ohio State goes looking for a 3-0 start under new Coach Meyer when it hosts Cal Saturday afternoon (noon ET, ABC).

The Buckeyes, coming off a 31-16 win over Central Florida, are favored by 18 points over the Bears, who picked up their first win with a 50-31 victory over Southern Utah.



View California vs Ohio State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Ohio State opened as 16-point favorites at Sportsbook. The total was set at 52.5 at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction: It's a betting matchup between the No. 34-rated Buckeyes and the No. 91-ranked Golden Bears, according to the NCAAF Power Rankings here at Odds Shark. Predictive-scoring models run on this game indicate a potential 62-37 result in favor of the Buckeyes.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Ohio State's No. 14-ranked offense (43.5 PPG) against a Golden Bears defense that ranks No. 92 at 31 PPG. The Buckeyes passing attack has averaged 199.5 yards per game, less than the Golden Bears give up through the air (261 YPG on average).



California won its last outing, a 50-31 result against S. Utah on September 8. Since it involved a non-board school, there was no point spread or total on the game. S. Utah was unable to contain Isi Sofele in its last action Saturday and the result was a 50-31 Week 2 loss against the Golden Bears.

Ohio State won its last outing, a 31-16 result against Central Florida on September 8. Ohio State failed to cover in that game as a 16-point favorite, while the 47 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Braxton Miller tore up the turf for 141 rushing yards in the latest Buckeyes game, a 31-16 win over the Knights at Ohio Stadium.


California Golden Bears Trends:
When playing in September are 6-4
When playing on turf are 3-7
After outgaining opponent are 3-7
When playing outside the conference are 6-4

Ohio State Buckeyes Trends:
When playing in September are 9-1
When playing on turf are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing outside the conference are 8-2

A few Golden Bears at Buckeyes trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of California's last 6 games on the road
California is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
California is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Ohio State is 21-3 SU in its last 24 games at home
Ohio State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Ohio State's last 12 games at home
Ohio State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


Next up:
California at Southern Cal, Saturday, September 22
Ohio State home to UAB, Saturday, September 22