Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get his or her perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
Akron
zips
Ohio State opens its season against Akron, a Group of Five team that has struggled mightily the past few years. Last year, the Zips were near the bottom of the FBS in many offensive statistical categories, and while the defense fared better, that unit also had its own set of issues. OSU opens the game as a 48.5-point favorite per DraftKings and FanDuel, so this game could be over quickly.
To help break down the matchup, we're joined by HERO Sports Group of Five analyst Colton Pool, who discusses the Zips' quarterback situation, their linebacker play and Joe head coach Joe Moorhead.
It was a pretty bleak 2023 season for Akron, with the Zips finishing 2-10 for the second straight season. On offense, Akron was 130th nationally in scoring and 129th in yards per game. Is there any reason to be optimistic about the Zips for this season on either side of the ball, even if it doesn’t apply to this week?
Colton Pool: Akron was fairly abysmal last season, so maybe the biggest reason for optimism is it can't get much worse. The Zips did add a few three-star transfers this offseason, so the hope would be those players step in and make an immediate impact. But even compared to the rest of the MAC, let alone the FBS, Akron's transfer and recruiting classes haven't exactly been highly regarded, so many of those players are going to need to greatly exceed expectations if the Zips are going to be in contention for a bowl game.
Ben Finley won the Zips’ quarterback battle and will start under center. What do you make of what the Cal transfer could be with Akron?
Pool: Akron certainly hopes Finley will bring some stability to the position. Three different quarterbacks started multiple games for the Zips last season, and none of them threw more touchdowns than interceptions or threw for more than 1,500 yards on the year. Finley's more of a pro-style quarterback, and has started at Cal and NC State before this. Maybe his experience will prove to be something Akron needs as the Zips hope to design an offense that maximizes his skill set.
Akron’s defense, while still not lighting the world on fire, performed better than its offense last season and returns a solid linebacker tandem in Antavious Fish and Bryan McCoy. Would you say the linebackers are the strength of this unit, and how do you assess the defensive line and secondary?
Pool: Linebacker should certainly be a strength for this Akron defense with those two coming back. Fish and McCoy could prove to be among the top linebackers in the MAC this season if they continue to be as productive as they were a year ago. Having dependable tacklers at the core of your defense is obviously always critical. As for the defensive line and secondary, they might not be as strong as Akron's linebacking corps, but there's some standout players there as well. CJ Nunnally IV made the All-MAC first team last year after ranking second in the conference with 15.5 tackles for loss and fifth with seven sacks. Cornerback Darrian Lewis is also back after ranking in the top five on the team with 75 total tackles and three pass breakups. Those are two players to keep an eye on.
Is there anything the Zips can do as a team to at least keep it somewhat respectable against the No. 2 team in the nation on Saturday?
Pool: In a matchup like this that's so lopsided on paper, I think what might earn people's respect is if Akron can at least make things difficult early on. Maybe that's forcing a fumble or even a three-and-out on defense. Maybe that's going into the second quarter trailing by just one possession. It seems likely Ohio State is going to win this game by a lot, but if Akron can give Zips fans something to be excited about and a reason to look forward to the rest of the season, that would go a long way.
Joe Moorhead is entering his third season at Akron and is 4-20 after two years at the helm of the program. Most people understood rebuilding the Zips was going to be a project, but could 2024 be a make or break year for Moorhead to a least show a little progress from a win-loss perspective?
Pool: For any head coach, I think you've got to show at least a little progress by Year 3. And like you said, Akron was always going to be a long-term rebuild. But everyone around this program wants to see this team to show some life. Maybe that's through a few MAC upsets or even getting to its first bowl game since 2017. Or perhaps that's simply by establishing an offensive identity and putting up some points, even if it still results in losses. But in my mind, Akron needs to take another step forward in some way.
While we’ve got you here as a Group of Five analyst, who are some contenders in your estimation to get the G5 bid for the College Football Playoff this season and who do you ultimately think will get it?
Pool: The Group of Five is going to be fascinating this year because of that CFP spot. Boise State is the frontrunner, and that's for good reason because the Broncos are loaded with talent and should have some momentum after winning the Mountain West in 2023. Memphis is another contender considering everyone that team has coming back. Liberty of course could be in contention if the Flames go undefeated during the regular season once again. The Sun Belt has so many good teams, which may make it tough for a single squad to emerge as the conference title winner with less than three losses, but App State and Texas State should be teams to watch there.
Finally, most expect Akron vs. Ohio State to be a massive beatdown, with most point spreads sitting around 48.5. How do you see Saturday’s game going and what is your score prediction?
Pool: I think this one is over by halftime. I'm predicting Ohio State covers the spread and will score in the 60s in this one. I'll go Ohio State 63, Akron 10.
