Five Predictions: Maryland at Ohio State

Look, it’s 9:07 pm on a Friday night and I haven’t even started the Tip Sheet yet, so please forgive me if I don’t recap all of my predictions last week which we can all assume were correct. I’ll recap them in next week’s five predictions on Friday somehow, even though I’ll probably be driving to New Freaking Jersey at the time.

You might think that being distracted by a big story like Ohio State had today can affect a predictor’s ability to predict, and you’d be right. If you think it will affect my ability, however, you are sorely mistaken. Nothing affects my ability to predict, other than time, as you can see.

This has already been more than enough of an introduction given the circumstances. Also, if you think this is short, just wait until you see the Tip Sheet, assuming I get to it.

1. Ohio State’s defensive ends will combine for at least two sacks.

The Buckeyes are going to be without their top two defensive ends on Saturday, but that isn’t stopping me from having some faith in the Ohio State edge rushing. Sophomores Tyler Friday and Tyreke Smith will be good to go, and freshmen Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Zach Harrison will provide adequate — and relentless — depth. Maryland is giving up 2.3 sacks per game this season, so I’m actually being pretty bold here considering Shaun Wade will have a sack and so will a linebacker and probably a defensive tackle.

2. Master Teague will rush for at least 90 yards.

I don’t know how much JK Dobbins is going to play, but I don’t expect it to be more than two quarters. This means we should see plenty of Master Teague. However, given how valuable Teague is for the Buckeyes, I don’t expect to see much of him in the fourth quarter. All of this means that he’s going to have to make hay while the sun is shining. The good news, of course, is that Master Teague knows his way around some hay. Oh, and I chose 90 yards because Teague is averaging 89 yards per game in Big Ten play.

3. Marcus Crowley will have a carry of at least 27 yards.

If you give Marcus Crowley an entire quarter of carries, science has shown that he’s pretty likely to bust an explosive run. He only has 17 carries on the season, but two of them have gone for over 30 yards. Crowley runs hard and wants to make the most of his limited opportunities. He could be looking at double digit carries in this one. The most he’s had as a Buckeye is just four in a game. This game might be fun to watch after all.

4. An Ohioan will account for a score.

This is probably my boldest prediction ever. Only two Ohioans have accounted for scores this season. Tight end Luke Farrell is the only Ohioan to actually score for the Buckeyes this year, while quarterback Gunnar Hoak threw a touchdown to Missourian Jameson Williams. I do have some options here, like Demario McCall or Jake Hausmann or Farrell. Maybe Jaylen Harris or Jaelen Gill. Maybe Gunnar Hoak runs one in or finds Jameson Williams again. It feels silly to be so confident about something so bold, but here I am.

5. A freshman or sophomore will intercept a pass.

Assuming Maryland isn’t going to simply run the ball in order to keep the clock ticking, there should be some opportunities for me to hit this one more than once. A guy like  Cameron Brown is due. He’s been playing a lot of cornerback. And we all know that sophomore safety Josh Proctor is overdue for a catch. It also helps that Shaun Wade is still just a redshirt sophomore. The amazing part will be if somebody like Dallas Gant — a sophomore from Toledo, Ohio — pick sixes one for me and knocks out two of my predictions.