Ohio State Buckeyes: What to know about the Akron game

Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.

TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/1410.

Series history: Ohio State leads 7-1 in a series that began in 1891. The Buckeyes won the first meeting 6-0 on Dec. 5 of that year in the eighth game in program history. Three years later, Akron beat Ohio State 12-6 on Sept. 15, 1894, at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in the only win for a current Mid-American Conference member against the Buckeyes.

Last game: Joe Bauserman threw three touchdown passes — all to tight end Jake Stoneburner — as the Buckeyes won 42-0 in the 2011 season-opener under interim head coach Luke Fickell. Wayne High School grad Braxton Miller completed 8 of 12 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown while also running for 30 yards in his Ohio State debut, and Springfield Catholic Central grad Brian Wagner led the Zips with 15 tackles.

Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 25-3 three seasons, including 16–0 in the Big Ten. Akron’s Tom Arth is 2-19 as head coach of the Zips and 51-40 overall.

Ohio State notes: Quarterback C.J. Stroud is ninth in the nation in passing at 321.0 yards per game. … Linebacker Teradja Mitchell leads the Big Ten with 10.5 tackles per game while teammate Ronnie Hickman is fourth at 10.0. … A rebuilding and struggling defense has already had 16 different starters this season for Ohio State while 12 different players have started on offense. … Ohio State is 189-51-15 all-time against colleges from Ohio, including a 29-0 mark since 1992 when they resumed playing them regularly. … The Buckeyes’ last loss to a school from Ohio was to Oberlin, a 7-6 final Oct. 8, 1921. … Ohio State tied Wooster in 1924. … The 2021 season is the 100th season of football at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State is 454-113-20 in the Horseshoe. … The stadium has hosted 21 night games, and the Buckeyes are 16-5 in those contests.

Akron notes: The Zips have three area players: sophomore running back Dae’Vontay Latimer, of Trotwood-Madison; freshman running back Josh Bryant, of Middletown; and freshman defensive lineman Andre Proffitt, of Lakota West. … Akron quarterback Kato Nelson is fifth in school history with 5,138 passing yards, but he missed the Zips’ win over Bryant last week because of injury. Sophomore DJ Irons started in his place and accounted for 432 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. … The Zips have allowed 39.7 points per game, 122nd in the country, and 397 total yards per game (93rd)… The offense is not much better, ranking 99th and 93rd, respectively, in points and yards allowed per game.

Quoted: Arth on facing Ohio State: “This weekend presents a great challenge and a great opportunity. It certainly is going to take everything we have, a great week of practice and really a dialed-in effort from everybody to really focus in on what or responsibilities are and go out there and execute at a high level.”

Next game: The Buckeyes will travel to Rutgers to face the Scarlet Knights at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday. The Zips return home for a 3:30 game against Ohio.

Prediction: Ohio State 63, Akron 14.