Here are five things we learned from the Ohio State Buckeyes' win over Akron

Here are four things we learned from Ohio State’s 52-6 win over Akron on Saturday :

Jeremiah Smith met lofty expectations

There were some early jitters.

Smith dropped a screen pass and drew a flag for a false start as the Buckeyes went three and out on their opening drive.

But they didn’t last. Smith caught three passes on the following possession, including a 16-yard haul for a score.

On his first career touchdown, Smith ran a fade route along the east sideline as he pulled the ball in over cornerback Joey Hunter while crossing the goal line.

Smith had another touchdown late in the second quarter when he broke toward the end zone on a slant and grabbed a 9-yard toss that Howard threaded between a crowd of defenders.

He finished with six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns in his much-anticipated debut.

Although the record-keeping isn't definitive, Smith is believed to be Ohio State’s first true freshman to start a season opener at wide receiver. He enrolled in January amid a wave of hype, ranked as the top high school prospect in the class of 2024 .

There might be growing pains later this fall. Smith had decidedly more talent than the Akron defensive backs who covered him. But in Week 1, the offseason buzz that surrounded him proved warranted.

Will Howard’s legs are an asset

Howard used his mobility to extend plays on both of the Buckeyes’ touchdown drives in the first half.

When facing a third-and-4 at the Zips ’ 28-yard line in the first quarter, Howard was able to avoid a pass rush. CJ Nunnally IV, a returning All-Mid-American Conference defensive end, burst off the edge of the line of scrimmage into the backfield.

But Nunnally’s right arm only grazed Howard, who slid forward in the pocket, rolled out to his right and found Smith open along the sideline. The 8-yard completion set up the Buckeyes in the red zone.

In the second quarter, Howard scrambled to move the chains. On a first-and-10 at Akron’s 29-yard line, he took off for 19 yards as his receivers were covered.

Two plays after the gain, he connected with Smith for their second touchdown.

The Buckeyes picked up where they left off on defense

There was a mismatch in the trenches.

Akron has had trouble with pass protection in recent years. Only six teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision allowed more than the 46 sacks the Zips surrendered last fall.

Regardless, the Buckeyes continued to be disruptive in swarming the pocket.

After they finished last season with six sacks against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, they brought down Akron quarterbacks Ben Finley and Tahj Bullock a total of five times.

An experienced defensive line helps. Veterans J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams combined for 2.5 of the Buckeyes' sacks.

Lathan Ransom should not be overlooked

The arrival of Caleb Downs, a breakout star as a freshman at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State, drew no shortage of attention during the offseason. Downs was considered the best available player in the transfer portal between the winter and spring windows.

But the return of Ransom, who missed the last five games in 2023 as the result of a Lisfranc tear , is no small thing.

Making his first appearance since he went down at Wisconsin last October, Ransom led the Buckeyes with nine tackles, including two for a loss. He also returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Brandon Inniss flashed potential as a punt returner

Replacing Jayden Ballard and Emeka Egbuka as the Buckeyes' primary punt returner, Inniss returned four punts for 60 yards.

That's the most by an Ohio State player since Jalin Marshall totaled 64 yards on five returns in a win over Minnesota in 2015.

A majority of Inniss’ return yards came on a return midway through the third quarter when he fielded a punt at the Buckeyes’ 4-yard line and ran it back for 36 yards.

Neither Ballard nor Egbuka had a punt return longer than 18 yards last season.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com .

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here are five things we learned from the Ohio State Buckeyes' win over Akron