Jacksonville State Gamecocks (1-1) vs. Ohio Bobcats (0-1)
September 12, 2026 6:00 pm EDT
The Line: Ohio Bobcats -2.5; Over/Under: 51.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Jacksonville State Gamecocks and the Ohio Bobcats meet Saturday in college football action from Peden Stadium in Athens. Here’s an Ohio vs Jacksonville State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Ohio vs Jacksonville State pick.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Betting Preview
The Gamecocks have two games in the bag already. First came a matchup with North Dakota State on August 29. Jacksonville State was outscored 26-0 in the final three quarters during a 33-7 loss. QB Caden Creel was 12-of-23 for 85 yards and a pick but did have a rushing touchdown among his 44 yards. Deontre Johnson led the receivers on two grabs for 26 yards.
In their second outing of the year last weekend versus Eastern Kentucky, the Gamecocks posted points in every quarter (including 21 in the second) during a 49-7 blowout victory at home. QB Caden Creel had 327 yards with five touchdowns and one pick on 21-of-28 passing and Jamill Williams had seven catches for 144 yards and four of the scores. Jalen Likely added five carries for 73 yards and a TD of his own.
Ohio Bobcats Betting Preview
Over on the Ohio side, they had a pretty solid year in 2025. The Bobcats went 9-4 overall with a 6-2 run in the Mid-American Conference. That would put Ohio in third place among the standings, behind only Western Michigan and Miami-OH. The Bobcats got an invite to the Frisco Bowl, where they took out UNLV 17-10 to cap off the season nicely.
In their opener versus Nebraska last weekend, the Bobcats gave up points in all four quarters during a 49-21 loss. QB Nick Poulos had a 14-of-31 line for 164 yards and a TD. Poulos also led the rush on 70 yards (with a TD) from 10 totes, and Riley Need added six grabs for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks @ Ohio Bobcats Betting Trends: Week 2
Ohio Bobcats Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 2, AJ Miller ranks T1st amongst qualified players for catch rate (100.0%) this season.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 2, Jamill Williams ranks 1st amongst FBS players for receiving touchdowns (4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Ohio ranks 138th among FBS teams for H2 opponent points per game this season (35.0).
- Ohio ranks T1st among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage this season (100.0).
- Jacksonville State ranks T4th among FBS teams for interceptions this season (3).
- Jacksonville State ranks 5th among FBS teams for 1st downs this season (40).
Ohio vs Jacksonville State Prediction
I’ll stick with Ohio. The Bobcats were hanging with Nebraska during a tough road game last weekend, going into the half with a 14-13 deficit. It was a different story from there though, and Ohio ended up surrendering 523 yards (248 rushing), 7.1 yards per play and 28 first downs during a fairly sizable loss. This weekend’s matchup should be much easier, and I like the Bobcats to strut their proverbial stuff accordingly.
As for Jacksonville State, they demolished Eastern Kentucky in their second game with 526 total yards (174 rushing), 8.6 yards per play and 26 first downs. The 9-of-12 on third downs was nice as well. On defense the Gamecocks gave up just 90 passing yards (285 total) and 3-of-11 on third downs. We’ll get a better idea of where Jacksonville State stands this weekend.
