COLUMBUS, Ohio — Akron's visit to No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday likely won't be much of an indicator of how good the Buckeyes can be this season.
Ohio State has elite skill players aplenty, an experienced quarterback in Kansas State transfer Will Howard and a defense brimming with returning starters from last year's unit, which was ranked second-best in the country.
"They're talented, they're deep, they're well coached," Akron's third-year coach Joe Moorhead said this week. “Obviously, people are talking about them being a legitimate contender to win a national championship, and they’re right. So, it’s going to be a huge, huge challenge.”
That's one way of putting it.
Ohio State is a seven-touchdown favorite, which means its backups may see as much playing time as the starters. Being overmatched that much likely won't allow Moorhead, the former Fordham and Mississippi State coach, to learn much about his players beyond their level of perseverance.
Akron has won seven games over the last five seasons, just four of those against FBS teams. They finished 2-10 last year. The MAC preseason poll put the Zips at No. 11 out of 12 teams.
The opponent doesn't matter, said Howard, who threw for nearly 5,800 yards and 48 touchdowns in four years at K-State before arriving in Columbus and rising to the top in a crowded quarterback room.
“The most important thing is what’s right in front of you,” he said. “We know that we got a lot of matchup games on the road and a lot of really important games and some tough teams to play but, you know, the most important thing for us right now is Akron. And it’s because it’s the next thing.”
Howard has said he won't have to be a hero — just a competent distributor of the ball to the Buckeyes' many offensive weapons.
Preseason AP All-American TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins make up one of the best backfield tandems in college football. The No. 1 receiver, Emeka Egbuka, is another preseason All-American. Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith is being called a generational talent.
Calling the plays will be new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, whose relationship with coach Ryan Day goes back to when Kelly was the coach at New Hampshire and Day was his quarterback from 1998-2001. Kelly left his job as UCLA head coach to work for Day this season.
“We’re trying to create a standard for ourselves," Day said. “And whatever team we play, we play, and then we go from there. So, like I tell the guys every day in practice, you’re not allowed to have a bad day around here.”
The Zips' defense will be tested mightily.
“We return eight starters and a bunch of guys with a lot of playing time,” Moorhead said. “We got a bunch of talent through the portal, so I’m excited to see our defense take the next step forward.”
The player to watch on that side of the ball is defensive end CJ Nunnally IV, one of the best pass rushers in the MAC.
Moorhead is hoping fifth-year transfer quarterback Ben Finley can lend some stability to an offense that averaged 195 yards and about 16 points per game last season. Finley is a career backup who played three years at NC State before transferring to Cal for his fourth.
Moorhead last visited Ohio Stadium on Sept. 11, 2021, when he was offensive coordinator for Oregon. On that day, the No. 12 Ducks upset the No. 3 Buckeyes 35-28.