Ohio State Buckeyes Season Opening Opponent Officially Names Starting QB

The Ohio State Buckeyes season opening opponent, the Akron Zips, have officially named their starting quarterback.

Sep 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Ben Finley (10) throws an interception while under pressure from Washington Huskies linebacker Carson Bruener (42) during the first quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Ohio State Buckeyes are closing in on their first game of the 2024 college football season.

On Saturday, August 31st, the Buckeyes will play host to the Akron Zips. It's widely expected that Ohio State should have a very dominant performance in that game.

With just 10 days remaining before the matchup, Akron has officially decided on a starting quarterback.

According to a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN, the Zips have given the job to veteran transfer quarterback Ben Finley. He last played for the California Golden Bears and played for NC State before that.

Sources: Akron has named veteran transfer Ben Finley as the starting quarterback, and he’ll open for the Zips at Ohio State. He’s a former Cal and NC State quarterback who started two games at each school. pic.twitter.com/DqVCcGmcHY

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 21, 2024

Finley has played in four college football seasons throughout his career. He has yet to find a consistent role and hasn't looked amazing when he has played.

In four years, he has thrown for 1,215 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Congratulations are in order to Finley for winning the job. However, he has a nightmare first start ahead of him against one of the best defenses in the nation.

Looking ahead at the upcoming season, the Buckeyes are stacked with defensive talent. They should have an elite pass-rush, an elite linebacker corps, and a secondary capable of making huge plays and forcing turnovers quite often. That isn't an ideal first start for Finley.

All of that being said, the game still must be played. Ohio State needs to take things seriously from Week 1. It will be interesting to see how the team looks in just over a week.

Fans can't wait to watch live Buckeyes' football again and they finally know who will be starting at quarterback against them in the season opener.