Ohio State opened the 2024 season with a blowout win against Akron, but that game was not without some flaws. Most notably, it took starting quarterback Will Howard and the offense to get their mojo going in the season opener.

The good news for Week 2 is that Ohio State‘s offense has not had any troubles getting things heading in the right direction. The Buckeyes scored on the very first drive of the game and would notch touchdowns on 5 of the first 6 drives of the game against Western Michigan.

Ohio State utilized its newcomers extensively throughout that hot start, including running back Quinshon Judkins. It was his best action as a Buckeye to date as Judkins carried the ball 6 times for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Jeremiah Smith, the elite freshman, also played a starring role in the first half. He recorded the longest play of his career with a 70-yard touchdown reception against WMU and finished the half with 119 receiving yards, Smith’s first game with 100+ yards.

Howard, the QB and the catalyst for the offense, was also on point in the first 30 minutes of the game. He was 15-for-22 for 274 yards and a passing touchdown while opening the game with a more efficient performance than he did in the season opener. Howard also added a short rushing touchdown in the big first half for the Buckeyes.

At the break, Ohio State has 406 yards of offense and has been balanced throughout. Howard has accounted for 274 passing yards while the ground attack has picked up 132 yards and is averaging 9.4 yards per carry.

That’s the kind of outing fans want to see after the lackluster showing in Week 1!