Winners, losers from Akron's loss to Ohio State football in Week 1 of college football

The Akron Zips opened their 2024 season on the road against college football super team Ohio State. The game ended 52-6 with the Buckeyes coming away with their first win of the season.

But for the Zips , there were a few things to be proud of. Here are winners and losers from the game:

Winner: The Akron defense, particularly the front six

CBS broadcasters Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson were plenty complimentary to the Zips on Saturday. That was especially true for the players in the front six of the team's 4-2-5 scheme. Despite getting banged up, linebacker Bryan McCoy didn't look out of place playing against the ultra-athletic ( and expensive ) Ohio State football roster. The junior is coming off being a third-team All-Mid-American Conference selection.

Winner: Akron's intriguing offense with two quarterbacks on the field

There were a handful of plays in the first half of the game when Akron would line up on offense with both quarterbacks Tahj Bullock and Ben Finley. The plays gave the Buckeyes something to think about. Would Bullock be a pass catcher? Would he come into motion and take a snap? Would he run or pass if he did? The plays will give future opponents something to think about. Bullock may not be known as a downfield passer, but he's exciting when he's on the field.

Akron football: Zips seek winning football season

Winner: Akron Zips fans

There's no mistake that losing 52-6 looks ugly. But those first nearly nine minutes of the game sure were fun for Zips fans. Akron stopped Ohio State on its first drive of the game and then put together a solid drive of its own to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. It was fun while it lasted.

Winner: Akron kicker Garrison Smith

Smith connected on field goals of 48 and 49 yards for the Zips. Doing that on the road at Ohio Stadium in his first game for Akron was impressive. After losing many close games in 2023, Smith can be a weapon for Akron in 2024.

Winner: The Akron Zips athletic department

What does Akron gain from getting beaten 52-6 by one of the nation's top programs? A cool $600,000, according to one report. That price would have been more, but as Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch reported, Akron received less than $1 million because the school was a late schedule replacement for Southern Mississippi.

That figure is different from what Brett McMurphy of the Action Network is reporting. He reported last week that Ohio State is giving Akron $1.8 million . We'll try to figure out what the real number is and report back.

Loser: Akron's quarterback depth chart after Ben Finley and Tahj Bullock

On first glance, if you didn't watch the game, Finley's stat line of going 8-of-14 passing for 53 yards with an interception isn't all that impressive. But he showed a lot of toughness playing after multiple big hits and an apparent injury to his chest. Finley was eventually knocked out of the game in the third quarter and replaced by Bullock.

But what happens if Finley's injuries linger and a running quarterback like Bullock gets injured? Akron has two other quarterbacks on its roster — Johnny Brookhart and Brayden Roggow — but they're both freshmen.

Loser: College football officials and their replay system

Whether it's in the NFL or college football, there always seems to be issues with officials. That was no different in this game. In the first quarter, Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka appeared to catch the ball in the end zone while getting a hand, wrist and forearm down before the rest of his body landed out of bounds. That should have been a touchdown, but after a review, it was ruled he was out of bounds. The call left CBS officiating expert Gene Steratore baffled.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Winners, losers from Akron's loss to Ohio State football in Week 1 of college football