Each Sunday, Scarlet snd Gray Report will release a position-by-position grade card for Ohio State from Saturday's game. Here's how the No. 10 Buckeyes fared after their Week 4, 59-7, win against Akron.
Quarterback: When given the keys to an offense that had not found its proper balance yet, freshman Kyle McCord brought Ohio State as close as it has ever been in 2021. After missing each of his first two pass attempts, McCord completed 13-of-15 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns, knowing and utilizing the speed and skill of his receivers through the deep game and the short shovel-pass game. McCord was not perfect — an interception, two sacks — but he did enough to leave with confidence in what he can do behind center. Redshirt freshman Jack Miller III took over in the middle of the third quarter, mostly with leading the run game, but added 66 yards on 5-for-8 passing. GRADE: A-
Running backs: Along with the pass game, the Ohio State run game proved to be a complimentary piece. Facing a rush defense that allows 5.4 yards per rush and 2.7 touchdowns per game, the Buckeye tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Master Teague combined to average 10.3 yards per carry and score four of the offense's five rushing touchdowns, adding another by Evan Pryor late in the fourth quarter. The Ohio State saw that equal balance both in the offense and in terms of carries. Redshirt freshman Miyan Williams returned to the field and led the team with nine carries for only 47 yards. GRADE: A
Wide receivers: The Ohio State wide receivers did what they were supposed to do: make McCord look good. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson proved to be the favorites in the passing game, taking in 13 of the 25 total targets, while bringing in 217 of the 385 total receiving yards. Chris Olave added a touchdown, while freshman Emeka Egbuka recorded his first collegiate catch: an 85-yard throw by McCord that set up a Teague rushing touchdown. No matter the type of pass play, the wide receivers set up McCord for success. GRADE: A
Tight ends: Ohio State's tight ends were pretty much a non-factor in the pass game. Cade Stover and Gee Scott Jr. each brought in catches on three combined targets — each by Miller later in the game. But the tight ends have proven to play a major role in the run game, helping Henderson, Teague and company average over 10 yards per carry. GRADE: B+
Offensive line: The line was not perfect. McCord took two sacks, ending the day with -17 rushing yards. But the freshman quarterback was touched only one other time, and with the combination of five rushing touchdowns and its two main backs averaging more than 10 yards per carry, Dawand Jones, Matthew Jones, Paris Johnson Jr. and company are starting to find their groove, even without leader Thayer Munford. GRADE: B+
Defensive line: After a call for more pressure, the Ohio State defensive line. Starting from the middle with veterans Haskell Garrett, who led the team with three sacks, and Antuwan Jackson, and later adding two from freshman defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who recorded a team-leading six tackles, the Ohio State defensive line accounted for all nine of Akron's sacks, including the first career sacks by Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton. The defensive line also provided consistent pressure from the outside with the return of Zach Harrison at defensive end. Considering that the line was playing without three key pieces in Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Taron Vincent and Tyreke Smith, Ohio State easily had its best game of the season on the line. GRADE: A
Linebackers: Even with the distraction of senior K'Vaughan Pope, the Ohio State linebackers showed up at points against Akron. It provided pressure at times, with Tommy Eichenberg recording a quarterback hit and Teradja Mitchell earning two tackles-for-loss. Steele Chambers also came in late in the game, recording five tackles — including one for loss — and a broken up pass. While only recording one tackle, Cody Simon brought in one of two interceptions by Akron QB D.J. Irons. GRADE: B+
Secondary: While much of the battle was won up front, the Ohio State secondary got some positive video out of its win against Akron. Despite allowing a few pass plays early, including a 4-yard pass that was wide open in the end zone in the Zips' second drive of the game, the cornerbacks and safeties did what they could, helping Irons complete only 48.2% of his passes for 115 yards and two interceptions: the second coming from Ronnie Hickman, who took it back for a touchdown. There were times where it looked like the defense of old, but the Buckeyes secondary did what it needed to do. GRADE: B
Special Teams: Jesse Mirco continues to be in the running for the most comfortable freshman on the football field, pinning two of his three punts Saturday night inside the 20-yard line, averaging 46.5 yards per kick. Noah Ruggles hit his only field-goal attempt from 32 yards, while him and Dominic DiMaccio hit all of their extra-point attempts. GRADE: A
Coaching: Ryan Day did what he needed to do: pick a quarterback and let him run the offense. None of the back-and-forth between McCord and Miller. He gave space for the freshman to work the offense, to find a level of balance Ohio State hadn't seen. He also used his timeouts late in the second half, encouraging an offense to continue to strike late when it had the momentum, showing trust in the group that was out there. While it was only Tulsa, Ohio State showed an ability to make adjustments in a way it hasn't all season long, whether it was after McCord's first drive or the week-long focus by Day and defensive line coach Larry Johnson to get pressure on the quarterback. It will be interesting to see if any of this progress carries over to Rutgers in Week 5. GRADE: A
Final Overall Grade: A-
