Winners and Losers From Ohio State Buckeyes' Victory Over Akron Zips

Here are some of the winners and losers from the Ohio State Buckeyes' season-opening win against the Akron Zips.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes began the 2024 season with a dominant win over the Akron Zips, 52-6.

Let's dive in to the winners and losers from the Buckeye's recent victory:

Winner: Jeremiah Smith

Everyone knew that Jeremiah Smith was going to be a difference-maker for the Buckeyes, but the freshman wide receiver set the college football world on fire after his collegiate debut.

Smith finished Saturday's contest with 92 receiving yards on six catches while hauling in two touchdowns. He capped off his incredible performance with a 45-yard grab in the fourth quarter:

Jeremiah Smith's debut is living up to the hype. pic.twitter.com/5kyaVcrI5x

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) August 31, 2024

Players and coaches were well aware of Smith's talent as soon as he stepped on campus, and the young wideout is finally proving himself on the field. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Smith has quickly become the Buckeyes' "X" receiver.

Loser: Emeka Egbuka

"Loser" may not be the correct wording for Emeka Egbuka's performance against Akron, but the veteran pass catcher had an underwhelming outing on Saturday.

After dealing with injuries last year, Egbuka was the prime candidate to be Ohio State's leading receiver this season. However, the long-time Buckeye only recorded four receptions for 51 yards against the Zips.

He did make an impressive catch in the end zone, but it was unfortunately ruled as an incompletion:

This looks like a TD by Egbuka. What a catch if it's called a TD pic.twitter.com/9kG7nVLHoM

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 31, 2024

Egbuka will still be an important part of the offense in 2024, but there's a chance that he will not reach the statistical output that many experts projected.

Winner: Will Howard

Ohio State hit it out of the park with transfer Will Howard.

The former Kansas State quarterback stood out in his debut with the Buckeyes, throwing for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Despite him taking a couple of drives to settle in, Howard managed to complete 60.7 percent of his throws on Saturday.

Along with his efficient day through the air, the dual-threat quarterback displayed his ability to use his legs. Whether it was a designed run or scrambling out of the pocket, Howard proved that he is a perfect fit for Chip Kelly's offense.

Loser: First Half Performance

Even though Ohio State managed to score 52 against Akron while holding the Zips to six points, the first-half effort was concerning.

The first couple of drives for the Buckeyes were riddled with lackluster mistakes. Jeremiah Smith, despite his huge performance, dropped his first target on a quick screen play. The next play, offensive lineman Tegra Tshabola was penalized for being offside. And finally, on the first defensive play, Davidson Igbinosun received a personal foul after his hit on Ben Finley.

All the mistakes Ohio State made in the first half were covered up by the team's dominant second half, but slow starts will put the Buckeyes in tough situations when they face better opponents.