The No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1) head to Maryland this weekend to take on the unranked Terrapins (5-5, 3-4). This has been seen as a trap game since before the season started, but after the loss to Purdue there probably are no such things as trap games for the Buckeyes anymore. Now they’re just games.
So how do we see things shaking out?
Let’s take a look.
Adam Borland
Without having seen the rest of my fellow Ozoners’ picks, it’s tough to say exactly how optimistic I’m being. But, I believe that Ohio State will crush Maryland in College Park tomorrow. To quote John Lennon (and an awful movie starring Steve Carell), “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not.”
Ohio State’s rivalry with the Terrapins dates all the way back to 2014, when Maryland joined the Big Ten and immediately got stomped into the dirt by the conference’s best team and eventual national champions. The result of that matchup was a 28-point win by the Buckeyes. The following year, the Bucks won a much more tightly contested battle… by 21 points. In the two years that followed, Ohio State beat the turtles by 59 and 48 points, respectively. To predict a blowout win over Maryland doesn’t seem like a stretch, at this point. In fact, four of Maryland’s five losses this season have come by at least 21 points.
With that said, I do believe that Maryland has improved, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They have explosive athletes on offense, but haven’t managed to tie it all together, outside of when they play the “Ok, cool. Hook ’em” Longhorns. I also believe that the injury to their starting QB Kasim Hill provides more of a test for a Buckeye defense that struggles against running quarterbacks like backup Tyrrell Pigrome. Still, Ohio State, united and emotional after a week of libelous nonsense off of the field, will come out and make a statement on Saturday. The Buckeyes may give up a couple of scores, but will otherwise dominate the Terps from start to finish.
Ohio State 41, Maryland 17
Tom Orr
This is a game that will be decided by a bunch of soft factors, which makes it the most unpredictable type of game.
Maryland is nearing the end of tragic and scandal-plagued season under an interim coach. They have lost a couple games in a row. Are the ready to just pack it in and start fresh?
Ohio State is playing its second straight road game, sandwiched between two games they had circled on the schedule all year. Did they have a good, focused week of practice or did they start thinking about Michigan the moment the clock hit 0:00 in East Lansing? Players and coaches said all the right things this week, but they said that before the 2017 Iowa and 2018 Purdue games, too.
Maryland’s offense has been pretty lousy this year, and has a new starting quarterback this weekend. But their defense has been solid, if unspectacular.
The Buckeyes are the better team. If they’re focused and Maryland isn’t, this could get ugly. But odds are either the Terps will come to play, or the Buckeyes won’t.
Ohio State 31, Maryland 17
Chip Minnich
Ohio State has had their way with Maryland since 2014, winning by an average score of 56-17. While I would welcome such a traditional score, this Ohio State does not seem likely to replicate the lopsided results of their predecessors.
Maryland has the capacity to score and keep pace with Ohio State, as evidenced by the high scores that the Terrapins have scored upon mutual opponents such as Minnesota and Indiana. While I believe Ohio State will be challenged, I also believe the Buckeye running game will be the crucial difference in the 4th quarter in favor of the Buckeyes.
Ohio State 35, Maryland 24
Michael Meihls
No amount of Turtle Power can help Maryland this weekend. Ohio State is not only more talented, but they have more talented depth, which will allow the Buckeyes to control this game.
Look for Maryland to try to control the game and clock with their running game. With QB Kasim Hill definitely out and RB Ty Johnson most likely out, this will be an even taller task. The Buckeyes defense, for all their shortcomings this season, will be able to stop this attack. This is the type of offense OSU has been built for.
On defense, Maryland has a lot of stat sheet guys, guys who stand out on paper more than they do on the field. Don’t buy in to the stat sheet stars. The Terps can’t stop Ohio State’s passing attack, and Haskins will set the single season passing record early. The Terps can’t stop the rushing attack either. It won’t be slowed down, I expect OSU to have one of their best rushing games of the season.
Final score? Buckeyes easily win.
Ohio State 35, Maryland 13
Brandon Zimmerman
Ohio State has spent the past couple of weeks trying to fix their glaring weaknesses. Against Maryland, the Buckeyes will have to really focus on creating more of a balanced attack offensively to get them into a rhythm for next week. They’ve spent so much time focusing on the run these past couple of weeks, the pass game has become very stagnant and unimaginative.
Stats wise, Maryland has a good pass defense, but I don’t think it is quite as good as the stats say. They benefit from opposing teams being able to run with relative ease against their front seven (178 yds per game w/o BGSU game & 224+ yds in 3 of last 4 games) and their own offense utilizing the run game to milk the clock as much as possible. They are going to be a stiff challenge for a struggling passing game but they are not a true Top 20 pass defense.
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State will be tested against the run game of Maryland which will be even tougher with Pigrome at QB. Even if Ty Johnson doesn’t play, the Buckeyes could still struggle to contain the big plays. This will be a much tougher test than Michigan State and will give us a better idea of where things are defensively.
Ohio State 35, Maryland 13
Michael Citro
As I noted on the Silver Bullets Podcast this week, Maryland does a few things well that could be problematic for Ohio State, given what we’ve seen from the Buckeyes this year. The Terps run the ball well, defend the pass well, and make big plays.
Ohio State’s offensive strength is passing, so if Maryland is able to take that away, it could be a huge issue. The Buckeye defense had better continue to improve or we’ll see more long runs and a nervy trip to College Park. Hopefully it’s a happy homecoming for Haskins.
Ohio State 35, Maryland 17
Caroline Rice
Ohio State is clearly the better team here but Maryland is as talented as any team the Buckeyes have faced this year. The Terps are very athletic and will make some big plays on Saturday. I would not be surprised to see their new starting quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome have a couple of long runs.
But this Buckeye team looked good last week. Even more important, though, they felt good about their win and I think they will carry that confidence over to this week.
They need to pile it on Maryland this weekend to get another big win before THE game next week.
I predict Ohio State will come out with a win and I think it will be a win that this team and coaching staff will be excited about.
Ohio State 42, Maryland 17
Tony Gerdeman
Maryland has a play-making defense, leading the nation with 17 interceptions. The Buckeyes will give them plenty of opportunities to add to that number, but the conditions should allow for Dwayne Haskins to be as accurate as we’ve known him to be. There is individual talent on Maryland’s defense, but the overall product is susceptible to what Ohio State will want to do. I’m thinking the Buckeyes hit the 200-yard mark on the ground for the first time in forever. Throw another 300 yards for Haskins on the pile, and you’ve got yourself a productive day on offense.
Defensively, the Buckeyes will be tested by Maryland’s ability to hit big plays on the ground and in the screen game. Running back Anthony McFarland is a dynamic player. Tackling will be paramount. Ohio State’s defense will be stressed in several directions, both pre-snap and post-snap. The defense will need to be sound tackling and sound in their assignments. They won’t be perfect, but if they’re pretty good, that would be a more positive sign than last week’s effort against a pitiful MSU offense.
Ohio State 38, Maryland 17