Ohio State got the result it wanted Saturday, but the path there had a few rough patches.
The Buckeyes beat Maryland 45-16 at homecoming to improve to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play, and the final margin eventually looked comfortable. It didn’t feel that way for long. Maryland trimmed the lead to 14-10 in the second quarter, and for a stretch in the rain at Ohio Stadium, the game had a little more life than Ohio State probably preferred.
Then the Terrapins’ coverage fell apart.
Jeremiah Smith got loose for another score, Nate Roberts slipped free and coasted in untouched on a 68-yard touchdown, and Ohio State carried a 31-10 advantage into halftime. Julian Sayin then opened the second half with an ugly pick-six, but the Buckeyes took control from there and never let Maryland seriously back in it.
Smith was once again the headliner. He finished with four catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns, scoring on his first two touches and moving to within one touchdown reception of Braylon Edwards’ Big Ten career record. The day also brought a first look at Kyle Parker, while Chris Henry Jr. turned in a nice long catch.
The ground game delivered the kind of support Ohio State needed. The Buckeyes rolled up more than 200 rushing yards, with Bo Jackson leading the way at 107 yards and two touchdowns.
Jackson became Ohio State’s first 100-yard rusher of the season. Ja’Kobi Jackson added 76 yards, and Legend Bey was back in the mix and getting carries.
The defense had its own strong moments, especially on the back end. Ohio State held Malik Washington to a career-low 64 passing yards and limited Chris Durr Jr., one of the nation’s most productive receivers, to just 15 yards. Maryland’s lone offensive touchdown came on a drive kept alive by a roughing the passer penalty, and the rest of its points came after Ohio State turnovers.
Still, not everything from the Buckeyes’ side was clean.
Sayin threw four touchdown passes, yet this still may have been one of his least polished outings of the season. He missed throws, looked rushed, and at times seemed sped up.
The stat line included both the pick-six and a lost fumble on a sack. That kind of damage can be absorbed against Maryland.
It won’t be so forgiving when Indiana comes to town.
There are other issues that need attention, too. The second receiver spot remains unsettled, especially with Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin both out. Ohio State needs someone other than Smith to win consistently on the outside.
And the pass rush? That has to be better. Zero sacks against Maryland is not good enough, and it stands out as the biggest defensive concern heading into Indiana’s offense.
Elsewhere around college football, the weekend turned wild in a hurry:
Iowa 41, Washington 24
Oklahoma 27, Texas 24
Georgia 20, Alabama 17
Indiana 20, Nebraska 17
Kentucky 35, LSU 34
UCLA 17, Oregon 15
Iowa drew some attention after looking like a completely different team following the Ohio State loss, and the conversation turned to whether a playoff run is realistic for the Hawkeyes.
Indiana stayed unbeaten with its close win over Nebraska, which sets up a huge top-five matchup in Bloomington next Saturday between the reigning national champions and the Buckeyes.
In Other News...
Ohio State Enters Brutal Stretch With One Worry Fans Cant Ignore
Rainy conditions and a depleted lineup did little to slow Ohio State in its 45-16 win over Maryland, a result that kept the Buckeyes moving forward even as the injury and illness list trimmed key pieces from the rotation. Several starters were out, including multiple offensive linemen and wide receivers, but the group that did suit up handled the circumstances well enough to leave Saturday with a comfortable conference win.
Indiana now looms as the next test, and the Buckeyes are still projecting confidence heading into that matchup. The concern for fans is hard to miss, though: Ohio State is entering a demanding stretch while still waiting to get healthier up front and back on the perimeter, and that makes the coming days worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got A New Ranking Test Before Indiana
Georgias win over Alabama shook up the top of both major college football polls, and Ohio State came out of the weekend a little higher in the conversation as a result. The Buckeyes climbed to No. 4 in the AP Poll and No. 5 in the Coaches Poll, keeping them firmly in the national title mix while the rest of the Top 5 continued to shuffle around them.
The new placement only adds more weight to what is coming next, because Ohio State is headed toward a Top-5 matchup with Indiana. With the rankings tightening and the stakes rising, the Buckeyes now have an even clearer read on where they stand, and a bigger test waiting to show whether this bump in the polls matches the on-field reality. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Turned Up The Heat On Two Committed 2027 Targets
A recent visit tied to Ohio States game against Maryland doubled as another reminder that the Buckeyes are already digging deep into the 2027 class. The program extended football scholarship offers to linebacker James Conrad and running back Kingston Allen, giving both prospects a fresh point of contact with one of the sports standard-bearers and putting two committed players on the radar in a very real way.
Conrad, who had been pledged to Buffalo, landed his first Power 4 offer from Ohio State, while Allen arrived in Columbus as a Wisconsin commit and left with an offer of his own. Both are regarded as highly ranked prospects with strong high school rsums, and the Buckeyes have clearly decided theyre worth pushing on early even with their current commitments elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]