Who is favored in Stonehill Skyhawks at Ohio Bobcats?

Ohio Bobcats are favored on the moneyline.

Stonehill Skyhawks at Ohio Bobcats

Sep 26, 2026·2:30 PM CT·Athens, OH

By JR·2 min read

STO(1-3)

OHIO(1-2)

AT

2:30 PM CT

TLDR: Ohio has lost 2 of 3 to start the John Hauser era, and on Saturday, September 26 an FCS visitor comes to Peden Stadium. This is the easiest game on the Bobcats' schedule, which is exactly why a sloppy one would be noticed.

SAT SEP 26, 2:30 PM CT

Spread

WIN

Total

Stonehill

(1-3)

LLWLW

Ohio

(1-2)

LWLWW

Kickoff71°

Ohio (1-2) hosts FCS Stonehill (1-3) at Peden Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the programs. That makes it a guarantee game the Bobcats are heavily favored to win. The open question is Ohio's defense, which allowed 49 at Nebraska and 41 at South Alabama, against a Stonehill offense that scored 35 at New Hampshire but only 14 at UMass.

Stonehill

Scored 35 on the road at New Hampshire
Held New Haven to 3 in lone win
Already saw an FBS stadium last week at UMass
Lost by 22 at UMass, the closest comparable
Managed just 6 points against Bryant
Big talent gap as an FCS program 4 years out of Division II

Ohio

Home at Peden after 2 road losses
Offense scored 36 at South Alabama
Big depth edge over an NEC roster

There's no quarterback duel to sell here. Ohio is 1-2 in Hauser's first season as head coach, and none of the 3 games has been clean. The Bobcats lost 49-21 at Nebraska, needed 4 overtimes to get past Jacksonville State 29-27 in their home opener, and then lost 41-36 at South Alabama. Stonehill makes the trip from the Northeast Conference, 4 seasons removed from Division II and playing the first-ever meeting between the 2 schools.

Stonehill's season has been lopsided in a way that tells you something. The Skyhawks are 1-3, and the only win was 21-3 at New Haven, which puts them 1-0 in the NEC. They lost 24-6 to Bryant, then scored 35 in a 42-35 loss at New Hampshire before UMass beat them 36-14 last weekend. So this is their second straight trip to an FBS stadium, and the first one was not close. The board prices it as the mismatch it is.

Ohio's problem through 3 games has been defense, not talent. It gave up 49 in Lincoln and 41 in Mobile, and even the win over Jacksonville State took 4 overtimes to finish. A week at home against an FCS roster is a chance for a new staff to clean up tackling and alignment before MAC play arrives. Hauser needs more from this game than a big final score. He needs a stretch where his defense gets off the field on 3rd down and the backups get real snaps.

Stonehill has shown it can score. It put up 35 on New Hampshire, a good FCS program, and on the road. The 2 blowout losses, though, came when the Skyhawks couldn't sustain anything, 6 points against Bryant and 14 at UMass. Whether they can get 2 or 3 drives going against an Ohio defense that has been giving up yardage all month will decide how long this stays interesting.

The forecast won't get in the way: 71 degrees, clear, 0% chance of rain and a 5 mph wind in Athens. Ohio gets its first home game since the 4-overtime marathon, and Stonehill is being paid a $400,000 guarantee to make the trip. Ohio is expected to win this one comfortably. What's actually worth watching is whether the defense looks like it learned anything from the last 2 weekends.

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