COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 2 Ohio State opened the season with a dominant 52-6 win over Akron.
The defense was as good as advertised, giving up just 177 total yards. And though the offense struggled in the first half, it got into a rhythm late, tallying 404 yards as the Buckeyes scored 35 second-half points.
A number of players notched their first Ohio State touchdowns, including Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard, freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, freshman running back James Peoples and Ole Miss transfer running back Quinshon Judkins.
It was only Akron and there are things to clean up, but the Buckeyes got things started with an easy win. Here are a few takeaways from the game.
Jeremiah Smith has arrived
Ryan Day spent the entire summer trying to quiet the hype around the top-ranked freshman in the 2024 class. He can’t do that anymore after Smith caught six passes for 92 yards and the Buckeyes’ first two touchdowns.
The first was a one-on-one fade in the end zone, something he made look easy throughout preseason camp. The second was a 9-yard slant route that Howard threw hard into a tight window.
And now we see why Jeremiah Smith was the nation’s No. 1️⃣ recruit 😲@Jermiah_Smith1 x @OhioStateFB#B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/IjIvFCI46r
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 31, 2024
The Florida native wasn’t without some mistakes, as he dropped his first pass and was called for two penalties. But overall he was tremendous in his debut. Nobody at Ohio State will say he’s WR1, but Howard targeted him like he was.
Howard threw 28 passes; nine of them went in Smith’s direction. The freshman led the team in targets, catches and yards in the first game of his career. It seems like Smith and Howard have good chemistry already, which means that the Smith hype isn’t going to die down anytime soon.
It’s early and crowning a freshman after one game against Akron isn’t necessarily a smart move, but Smith appears on his way to being one of the best receivers in the country.
Defense can play aggressively
All offseason, Ohio State knew it had the makings of one of the nation’s best defenses. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles wanted to strike a balance between being overly aggressive and too conservative. Last season, Ohio State ranked 124th with just 11 forced turnovers — seven interceptions and four fumbles — and finished 66th in sacks per game. On Saturday, Ohio State forced three turnovers: an interception by Denzel Burke, a pick six by linebacker Gabe Powers and a fumble returned for a touchdown by safety Lathan Ransom.
The Buckeyes got after the Zips and did it in a variety of ways. They had five sacks and generated constant pressure on Akron’s quarterback.
Defensive end Jack Sawyer didn’t tally a sack but had numerous hits on the quarterback. Fellow defensive end JT Tuimoloau had the first sack of the game, setting the tone up front. Knowles didn’t just rely on his front four to get pressure, either. The second sack came from linebacker C.J. Hicks, who blitzed, shed the running back and easily got to the quarterback. Safety Caleb Downs had one, as well, on a delayed pressure, catching the quarterback trying to scramble up the middle once both linebackers dropped in coverage.
Again, it’s just Akron, one of the worst teams in the MAC, but the aggressiveness was good to see from Knowles, as was the execution. Knowing that Knowles is getting a little creative and aggressive is a sign that they could cause more havoc than they did a year ago.
Scoop & score‼️
Lathan Ransom picks up the loose ball and takes it in for 6️⃣.#B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/IfDxjnOR3r
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 31, 2024
Why Howard’s first start was promising
A few things were evident early in this game, including that Howard is the upgrade Ohio State was looking for.
He didn’t put up unbelievable numbers — 17-of-28 for 228 yards and three TDs — but he moved the offense well and was on time with his passes after starting the game with four straight incompletions.
Each of his touchdowns was impressive. The fade to Smith was perfectly thrown away from the opposing corner. The slant to Smith was fit into a tiny window. And the 34-yard touchdown to Carnell Tate was on time, allowing Tate to catch it and run untouched into the end zone.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Kansas State transfer also didn’t get sacked in the game, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying on Akron’s part. He broke multiple tackles in the backfield and made some nice plays with his legs. He got a designed quarterback run and converted a first down on a quarterback sneak.
Howard’s debut was good, even if it wasn’t flashy, and showed what he can bring to the offense with his arm and his legs.
Burke delivers for defense
Burke was one of the best cornerbacks in the country last season, but his statistics weren’t flashy with just one interception. All offseason, he talked about getting his hands on the ball more. He did just that on Saturday.
He made an impressive play for an interception in the second quarter. Quarterback Ben Finley looked like he completed a pass, but Burke broke on the ball and took it out of the Akron receiver’s hands. Ohio State scored only three points after the turnover, but it was an impressive play from Burke.
He nearly came up with another interception later in the game, and a possible pick six at that. Akron threw a quick hitch to the outside and Burke tried to jump the route, but he was a step too slow and missed the interception and tackle. He’ll have to find the balance there, but seeing Burke play at this level early is a good thing for the Buckeyes.
Denzel Burke stole that one 😲@DenzelBurke10 x @OhioStateFB#B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/PccP59KpP3
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 31, 2024
Offensive line a work in progress in run game
Ohio State eventually wore down Akron, but the first half was concerning on the ground.
The Buckeyes were playing without All-American left guard Donovan Jackson, so that needs to be considered, but they ran for just 87 yards in the first half and 83 in the second half. Ohio State seemed to have trouble pushing Akron off the ball up front, so running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Judkins didn’t find a lot of running room early. That’s a concern.
Regardless of whether Jackson is playing, Ohio State’s backup offensive line should be able to push Akron off the ball and create running lanes. That just didn’t happen. I’m not sure if that’s a massive concern right now, as we’ll see what the line looks like with Jackson back, but things didn’t look great, especially early, even if the Buckeyes did end up finishing with what looks like a solid 170 yards.
Given last year’s concerns about the O-line, it would’ve said more if they dominated up front from the start.
Penalties a red flag, but no need to panic
Ohio State keeps saying it wants to be the most disciplined team in the country, but it was far from it on Saturday. The Buckeyes had seven penalties (Akron had five), and they had two in the first five plays. Smith was called for a false start and cornerback Davison Igbinosun was called for a late hit on a sliding Akron quarterback.
Akron was never going to test Ohio State, but the penalties have to get cut down before Big Ten play begins because they can cost the Buckeyes against better opponents.
(Top photo: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
