Buckeye Stock Market Report: Akron provides opportunity for major

After each Ohio State game during the 2021 football season, LGHL will offer its market analysis of the Buckeyes’ performance. Using a standard bond rating system, we’ll evaluate the offense, the defense, and the special teams, according to this formula:

AA (yeah, I may also use + and -): Very Strong

A: Strong

BBB: Adequate

BB: Facing Major Uncertainty

Then, we’ll take a look at any individual players whose performance stood out (in one way or another!) and assign them a stock rating: Blue Chip, Solid Performance, Penny Stock (akin to a junk bond, dangerously high risk).

Quick Overview

Well, there’s no doubt that it really matters whom you’re playing. And there’s no doubt that Akron is a very bad team. I don’t remember seeing a major college game where receivers dropped so many passes or that defenders simply waived at guys running by them with the ball. I’m not a gambling man (usually), but when I saw that initial 50-point spread, I figured “no way.” I thought that Akron, despite how bad they were reputed to be, would score at least 14, and the Bucks, with a new quarterback, weren’t likely to put up 65 to cover. No way.

I was wrong. This game was fun to watch, just what we all wanted: a true blowout. We saw a lot of freshmen playing for the first time, and playing well. The two most amazing stats to me?

The Buckeye defense racked up nine sacks after getting only four in the first three games. And time of possession: Akron, 36:40; OSU, 23:20. When you score as quickly (and as often) as Ohio State does, the time of possession is largely overrated, but still an interesting contrast.

Offense

Your offense is doing something right when your team scores 59 (yes, I know that the defense accounted for seven) points, gains 622 yards, and averages 10.2 yards per play. Against the Zips, it did lots of things right, with a variety of players and combinations. Starting quarterback Kyle McCord started out pretty shaky. After TreVeyon Henderson ran for 12 yards on the Bucks’ first offensive play, McCord threw three straight incomplete passes. They weren’t close, and the receivers were open. Oh no. Not quite an emergency that would require bringing Stroud back in, but a cause for worry, especially after Akron drove 55 yards for a touchdown on their next possession.

But McCord settled down nicely, completing 11 of 12 passes for 229 yards (15.3 average) and two touchdowns during the rest of the first half. He had help. The line played well. Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba made big catch-and-runs, and Henderson played like Henderson.

At half, the score had the Bucks up 38-7. The game was over. In the second quarter, the OSU offense out-gained Akron 170 yards to 27; in the third quarter, when some starters were still in the game, the Buckeyes out-gained the Zips 219-30. In the red zone, Ohio State was seven for seven, with six touchdowns and a field goal. Dominance — at last.

I liked the way that carries were distributed…