What the Ohio State football team can learn in the opener vs. Akron

The Ohio State football team is a major favorite over the Akron Zips in the season-opener. When you look at the rosters of the two teams, it makes sense. Ohio State is the second-ranked team in the country and Akron is nowhere to be found in either poll.

Ohio State last played this team in 2021. In that game, the Buckeyes didn't really have too many problems en route to a 59-7 shellacking. The Buckeyes are hoping for a score similar to that in 2024 too. Most people would think that a game like that would come without much to learn.

That's not necessarily true. Even if the Ohio State Buckeyes end up blowing out the Zips, there is still plenty that they can learn from the game. In fact, there's an argument to be made that they can learn more about their team from a blowout than from a close game.

What the Ohio State football team can learn from the opening game against Akron

The Buckeyes can still learn how Will Howard leads the offense. Even though they've seen it in practice and briefly during the Spring Game, the Buckeyes should be able to move the ball at will against Akron, so anything less than that could mean that changes in the offense need to be made.

Ohio State can also learn about how some guys look in their new spots. They'll get a good look at how Sonny Styles looks as a linebacker and how Caleb Downs fits with the Buckeyes after a year at Alabama. How many carries Quinshon Judkins will get compared to TreVeyon Henderson will also be something to learn.

Even if the Ohio State football team kills the Zips on Saturday, there will always be things to learn. Every game is valuable for one reason or another.