Observations: Auburn 60, Akron 10

On a Saturday when plenty of big names struggled, Auburn emphatically took care of business through the air and on the ground to get Bryan Harsin to 1-0.

QB Bo Nix (Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics)

Yes, it was Akron.

But on a Saturday that seemed specifically designed for teams — especially ones with first-year coaching staffs — to struggle, Auburn did its job and then some in a 60-10 victory.

Look around college football in Week 1. Oklahoma almost blew a huge lead to Tulane. Oregon needed a late touchdown to beat Fresno State. Iowa State struggled with FCS program Northern Iowa. Washington lost to FCS program Montana. In the SEC, Mississippi State needed a wild comeback to beat Louisiana Tech, while it took a while for Florida, Texas A&M and Arkansas to get going against their Group of 5 foes. (Don’t ask about Vanderbilt.)

Granted, Akron would probably be in the back of that discussion when it comes to opponent quality, even with the FCS teams. The Zips were towards the bottom of nearly every major stat category, offense and defense, in a 2020 season in which it only played teams in the MAC.

But Auburn still put together a comprehensive sm…