We are back!
You've been waiting for eight long, terrible months to see Ohio State back in action, and now one of the most hyped Buckeye squads in recent history will finally return to the Horseshoe to take on the Akron Zips.
This would be a special event during any season, but on this particular weekend there will be a special guest dotting the I, which might provide Ohio Stadium with a little extra juice:
New sticker alert for the 2x Heisman Winner pic.twitter.com/XDTab0whv2
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 31, 2024
Will that spur on the Buckeyes to greater heights? Does Ryan Day and company have it in them to cover the already enormous spread? Let's find out!
SCORE PREDICTIONS
Andy Anders - Ohio State 56, Akron 3: “Normally there are some hiccups to look for in Week 1 as any team is looking to iron out some wrinkles, but the talent discrepancy is so vast here that I expect Ohio State to take a massive early lead and roll depth early.”
Chase Brown - Ohio State 66, Akron 0: “Ohio State wasn't able to secure a shutout last season, an outcome that upset some of the team's best defenders. With most of those defenders back in uniform this season, as well as a number of talented youngsters in line to back them up, I'll pick the Buckeyes to get their long-awaited goose egg in the 2024 season opener."
“I'll pick the Buckeyes to get their long-awaited goose egg in the 2024 season opener.”– Chase Brown
George Eisner - Ohio State 56, Akron 3: “Expect a lot of rushing yards and the Zips to not make it out of their own half. If the MAC daddies score, it will be a field goal off of a turnover on one of the Buckeyes' early drives to avoid getting shut out. I expect that to more than likely take place given Howard threw at least one interception in each of his first five games last season.”
Johnny Ginter - Ohio State 42, Akron 7: “It'll take a few games for the offense to really get rolling, but Akron isn't good enough for people to tell the difference anyway. Expect some frustrating turnovers, however.”
Matt Gutridge - Ohio State 56, Akron 0: “When was the last time Ohio State shut out an opponent in the first game of the season? 2011. Who was the opponent? Akron. Here’s to Jim Knowles' unit making 2024 and Akron the answers to those questions going forward.”
Garrick Hodge - Ohio State 59, Akron 3: "Saturday will likely be a snoozefest, with Ohio State cruising to a 1-0 start with a superior roster. Only reason I gave Akron 3 is because the Buckeyes haven't quite been able to secure the elusive shutout under Jim Knowles yet, but it's probably coming one of these weeks.”
Dan Hope - Ohio State 59, Akron 7: “Ohio State beat Akron by this exact score three years ago with freshman Kyle McCord making his first career start in place of an injured C.J. Stroud, and this year’s Buckeye team should be better than that team – especially on defense – so it wouldn’t be surprising if this year’s game is even more lopsided. A 52-point margin of victory is still massive, though, especially considering backups will likely play most of the second-half snaps..”
Kyle Jones - Ohio State 45, Akron 3: “Starters look dominant in the first half and cruise to a huge lead before exiting early in the second half, leaving those who took the Buckeyes to cover in shambles.”
Chris Lauderback - Ohio State 56, Akron 3: “Blowouts can be boring but not season-opener blowouts. Sign me up for Quinshon Judkins, Jeremiah Smith and Will Howard all recording their first touchdowns while donning the scarlet and gray.”
“Blowouts can be boring but not season-opener blowouts.”– Chris Lauderback
Ramzy Nasrallah - Ohio State 69, Akron 3: “The real prediction here is the number of Buckeyes who register snap counts on Saturday and that number is also 69.”
Josh Poloha - Ohio State 56, Akron 0: “The Buckeye offense will score early and often, the Silver Bullets will fly around the field (and backfield) and OSU will secure its first shutout since Sept. 7, 2019 in what is expected to be a blowout by Ohio State given the 50.5-point spread. Expect to see plenty of players great some snaps, which is certainly a good thing given development and lengthy season ahead.”
Jason Priestas - Ohio State 58, Akron 0: “Ohio State is a show this season and this is their first performance. RIP, Akron.”
Jordan Raines - Ohio State 52, Akron 3: “It looks like bad weather could be the Zips’ 12th defender and make it difficult for Howard and company to attack through the air, but this won’t stop Quinshon and Trey. Bucks rush for 5 TDs, including a Howard keeper. Defense plays well, Akron scores a FG in garage time to prevent the shutout.”
WILL OHIO STATE COVER?
The current spread against Akron is hovering around 50 points, which is an absurd number given that Ohio State is sporting a revamped offense with a new center, quarterback, and many new faces at key offensive positions.
And yet! None of that seems to matter to the 11W crew because the large majority of the staff expects the Buckeyes to boatrace their Ohio neighbors, by a lot. This isn't a shock because Akron was godawful in 2023, but still... that's a big spread.
WHAT ABOUT THE OVER/UNDER?
Well, it's sitting at about 55.5 as of this writing, meaning that you can expect Ohio State to hit north of 50 points and to hold Akron to less than a touchdown.
Literally every 11W writer thinks that this is how the game plays out except for Kyle and Johnny, so if it doesn't work out that way feel free to blame them for your lost beer money.
