The Buckeyes roll to their first win of 2024 with a 52-6 blowout victory over the Akron Zips! Yes, it's Akron, and Ohio State has not lost a game to an in-state opponent since 1921. It wasn't a big game. Let's keep things in perspective.
But even so, there was a LOT of good to take from today's performance from the boys in the Scarlet and Gray, starting with their brand-new gunslinger, Will Howard!
A Breath of Fresh Air
Is every other sane Buckeye on cyberspace finally calmed down from the Kyle McCord era? Because something in my gut tells me that Ohio State may have finally found their next real quarterback.
I've never thought of Ohio State as a "quarterback school." Mostly because the great quarterbacks they've had in Columbus have never panned out in the pros. CJ Stroud looks like he's the only one so far who has a chance of bucking that trend. But he's also still very early in his career.
But even if Ohio State isn't known for cranking out great pro quarterback prospects, the Buckeyes still need a gunslinger who can make their offensive system work.
A "typical" quarterback for their offense is someone who has a cannon for an arm, great decision-making skills under pressure, and who puts enough touch on the ball, to still be dangerous on short and medium-range throws.
The typical Ohio State quarterback is a creator. A playmaker. A guy who creates opportunities for some of the most athletic wideouts and running backs in the country. He either puts the ball where only his receiver can get it on deep bombs, or he successfully goes through his reads and finds the right wideout on shorter passes in space.
Even though he was playing against Akron today, Will Howard looked like he has all those tools and qualities. He rarely made mistakes, was decent on his shorter passes, and still flashed his arm strength on three impressive deep balls that went for touchdowns. And he's also physically built like a cross between Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Allen, at 6'4, 235 pounds.
His final stat line wasn't an eye-popping one. But it's one that I feel comfortable with: 17-28 for 228 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions. He also wasn't afraid to take off and run when he had to, either.
As of right now, I'm cautiously optimistic about how Howard will do under center. But I like the fact that we picked him up through the transfer portal for several reasons:
He's experienced as both a starter and backup. He served in both capacities while he was still at Kansas State from 2020-2023, which means this kid is likely prepared for any situation. He's not some scared true freshman going into his first ever game action. He already knows what it takes to be a successful college football quarterback.
He's got over 350 rushing yards in his career so far, and 10 rushing touchdowns. That may not sound like much. But when you consider that neither CJ Stroud nor Kyle McCord were running quarterbacks, Will Howard has the potential to unlock another dimension for an already dangerous Ohio State offense. Running quarterbacks keep defenses honest.
His arm strength has the potential to accelerate this offense to what it's designed to be. He's not a work in progress like McCord was in this area. All Howard needs to work on, is fine tuning his accuracy, and developing chemistry with his new wideouts. He's a plug and play quarterback. A key piece for a team that's primed for a serious run at winning the National Championship.
And I can't talk about Will Howard's great day without mentioning his new favorite wideout... Jeremiah Smith!
Jeremiah Smith: Devin Smith 2.0?
Ohio State has had some fantastic wideouts over the years. Cris Carter, Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn, David Boston, Marvin Harrison Jr., and many others. But the one that Jeremiah Smith reminded me of was a more recent star: Devin Smith.
Devin Smith was the X factor on the 2014 Ohio State team that went on to topple Alabama and Oregon, and win the 8th National Championship in school history.
Devin Smith was either great at winning tight jump balls, fast enough to get separation from opposing corners, or crafty enough to sneak behind opposing secondaries. And he did these things all the time. He made even the best defenses look stupid on a consistent basis.
Time will tell if true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith will morph into that kind of a receiver for Ohio State. But he certainly looked the part for a kid making his first ever start! Smith caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdown grabs were on tight throws by Howard.
I can't wait to see him grow into his role. If he does, we'll hopefully be in store for some more beautiful touchdown grabs this season and beyond. And he could be one of the key pieces on a potential National Championship-winning team this year, and in the future.
I'm tempering my expectations right now because Jeremiah is extremely young. But I saw shades of Devin Smith a little bit, and got really excited at what could be coming up!
And I'm also excited at what I saw from the Ohio State defense!
Return of the Silver Bullets
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Every great Ohio State team has a stout defense. Always. It's the bedrock of Buckeye Football as it's meant to be played.
Buckeye defenses are fast, physical, they swarm to the football, and they make opposing offenses hurt the next morning from playing a clean, hard-hitting game. The buffet busters up front consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The linebackers set the edge and have great containment. And the defensive backs are fast enough to blanket opposing receivers, and mean enough to be enforcers who lay down vicious hits.
Again, it's Akron. But it was great to see the Buckeye defense get after the Zips in all phases of the game today. They racked up five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and forced three turnovers, including an interception that was taken all the way back for a touchdown by junior linebacker Gabe Powers.
Aside from a slow start, the Buckeyes pretty much fired on all cylinders today. Everyone continued to play fast, physical, high-energy football. Whether the score was 7-3 early, or the game was well in hand late in the fourth quarter. That's what you want to see in a tune-up game. Good teams win by large margins, polish every area of their game, and knock the rust off from last season. I was happy to see the Buckeyes do all those things.
Next up, Ohio State squares off against Western Michigan in the 'Shoe on September 7th. But for right now, I'm happy with how they took care of business. 1-0 is in the books. Time for the Buckeyes to truly start the building process. The run has officially begun.
GO BUCKS!
Statistical Leaders
Will Howard: 17-28, 228 yards, 3 TDs
TreVeyon Henderson: 8 carries, 65 yards
Jeremiah Smith: 6 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TDs.
Source: ESPN
Picture Credit: ESPN
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