​USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect. Pictured: Caden Creel (Jacksonville State)
The Jacksonville State Gamecocks take on the Ohio Bobcats in Athens, Ohio. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.Ohio is favored by -2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -142. The total is set at 50.5 points.Here’s my Jacksonville State vs. Ohio prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 12, 2026.Jacksonville State vs. Ohio Pick: Under 50.5 (Play to 48.5)My Ohio vs. Jacksonville State best bet is on the under. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.Jacksonville State vs Ohio OddsJacksonville State vs Ohio point spread: Ohio -2.5 (-114 ), Jacksonville State +2.5 (-106)Jacksonville State vs Ohio over/under: 50.5 (-112o / -105u)Jacksonville State vs Ohio moneyline: Jacksonville State +120, Ohio -142Jacksonville State is one of the teams we’ve gotten an extended look at this season, as it already has played two games.Week 0 was a shock to Jacksonville State and a statement to the college football world when North Dakota State rolled the Gamecocks, 33-7. Charles Kelly rallied the troops and led Jacksonville State to a resounding 49-7 win (handily covered -20.5) the next week.So one game above expectation, one game below.One of the preseason concerns I voiced was an over-reliance on QB Caden Creel after the nation’s leading rusher, Cam Cook, left for West Virginia. Through two games, Creel is the leader in carries (19) with adequate, but not exciting, results.What made his rushing ability so effective last year was the threat of Cook next to him. In 2025, Creel averaged 2.4 yards per carry before contact; this year, that number’s dropped to 1.9 through two games (0.7 against NDSU).With a mixed backfield, defenses can key in on Creel much more effectively.Creel also already has two interceptions to his name, plus a ball was snapped past him for an NDSU touchdown. Overuse here directly leads to increased turnovers.Fortunately, no defensive front on the schedule threatens quite like NDSU’s. The trio of upcoming opponents includes Ohio (was overmatched by Nebraska, see below), Georgia Southern and Middle Tennessee State.The jury’s still out defensively. NDSU can match up with almost any non-power team at the line of scrimmage — and probably most power-conference teams — and it was simply a mismatch for Jacksonville State’s defensive front.However, tackling was an issue, as the Gamecocks missed 14 in Week 0, and Eastern Kentucky managed to sneak in a few big plays on the ground.Losing a player like Parker Navarro could spell death for many programs, but not Ohio U. For decades, Ohio has been as consistent as anyone — it’s suffered only one losing season since 2009 and two losing seasons since Frank Solich’s debut season.Senior Nick Poulos stepped in Week 1 and led the team in both passing (164 yards) and rushing (70 yards). Most importantly, he kept his Bobcats in the game with Nebraska until late.Receiver