The first weekend of the 2024 college football season is in the books. Starting on Thursday and running through Sunday night, college football fans got their first full fix of the sport over the Labor Day weekend.
Ohio State fans were not excluded. The Buckeyes opened one of the most highly-anticipated years against Akron on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium. While the Zips hung around in the first half, the Scarlet and Gray sent the in-state opponent home with a 52-6 defeat to begin the season.
It was a slow start on Saturday for Ohio State. The Buckeye offense went three and out to open the game before Akron drove 47 yards in 10 plays snf kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. However, from that point on, the Scarlet and Gray dominated the game.
DONATE TO 'THE FOUNDATION':Click here now to assist with Name, Image and Likeness compensation for Ohio State football and basketball student-athletes.
Ohio State's 2024 season is nearly here. The Buckeyes are into fall campand what could be a memorable 2024 seasonbefore we know it! Basketball is building toward the 2024-25 season as well. Stay on top of the latest Buckeye news by BECOMING A BUCKNUTS SUBSCRIBER today!
While Ohio State led just 17-3 at halftime, the Buckeye offense woke up before the break and came out of the locker room more refined for the second half. The Scarlet and Gray scored touchdowns on both drives in the third quarter and safety Lathan Ransom added a defensive touchdown on a fumble return. Ohio State scored twice more, including a second defensive touchdown of the game, to conclude the performance in the fourth quarter.
The Week 2 rankings were released on Tuesday after the extended holiday weekend, beginning with the Coaches Polland followed by the AP Poll. After their first game of the new season, the Buckeyes remain at No. 2 in both the Coaches and AP polls.
This week's top five resembles the preseason rankings. Georgia remains No. 1 in the Coaches and AP Polls, followed by the Scarlet and Gray. Texas moves up to No. 3 and Alabama is up one spot to No. 4 in both rankings. Ole Miss rounds out the top five at No. 5 in the Coaches Poll, while Notre Dame is No. 5 in the AP Poll.
The Big Ten now has seven teams in the Coaches Poll. In addition to Ohio State, Oregon is No. 6, Penn State is No. 8, Michigan is No. 9. USC is up to No. 14, while Iowa climbed to No. 21. Washington is now in the rankings at No. 25. The AP Poll still has only six Big Ten teams. The Ducks are No. 7, the Nittany Lions are No. 8 and the Wolverines are No. 10. The Trojans move up 10 spots to No. 13 and the Hawkeyes round out the Big Ten teams at No. 21.
Although it was the season's first game, the Buckeyes were without offensive lineman Donovan Jackson and linebacker Cody Simon on Saturday, both typical starters. Jackson was certainly missed on an offensive line that remains a work in progress. This may help explain the slow start offensively, but quarterback Will Howard got into a groove in his first game for the Scarlet and Gray, completing 17 of his 28 pass attempts for 228 yards and three touchdowns. His top target was freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who made his collegiate debut by catching six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Follow Patrick Murphy onTwitterandInstagramfor more Ohio State coverage
What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for ourFREE Buckeyes newsletternow!
Defensively, Ohio State got the turnovers the players have discussed all offseason. In addition to holding Akron to only 177 total yards, cornerback Denzel Burke and linebacker Gabe Powers each had an interception, the latter of which was returned for the final score of the game, to go along with Ransom's fumble recovery. Ransom led the defense with nine total tackles, while defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau had 1.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks in a big day for the Buckeyes in the backfield.
The Scarlet and Gray will be back at Ohio Stadium next Saturday when Western Michigan comes to town. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network at 7:30 p.m. ET.
