Ohio State will head to College Park to face Maryland on Saturday.
After consecutive wins against Indiana and Syracuse and a 4-1 start, Maryland has proven itself to be a Big Ten contender, taking the top spot in their conference at this juncture in the young season. It’s the university’s first Big Ten home game and it promises to be a good one.
The Terrapins can breathe easy offensively. Quarterback C.J. Brown leads the team in rush and passing yards (53 yards per game and 199 yards per game, respectively), making him a dual threat to Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten. It’s unclear as to whether he will play in Saturday’s game, but regardless of whether it’s him or backup quarterback Caleb Rowe in the pocket, Maryland is set with receiving targets like wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Brandon Ross.
Ohio State’s JT Barrett has filled in nicely for Braxton Miller, going 26 of 36 with 330 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s victory against Cincinnati. Offensively, Ohio State poses a threat to Maryland with their ability to stretch the field and the presence of a strong running game. Running back Ezekiel Elliott had 182 rushing yards against Cincy last weekend, doubling his season total. He is an integral part of OSU’s passing game and will be the X factor in their offense.
Defensively, Maryland has been very solid and found success in the turnover department. A key factor here will be the performance of Defensive Player of the Week Cole Farrand. In the Terps’ win against Indiana, he had 19 tackles that helped limit the high-scoring Hoosier offense to just 332 yards of total offense. Their red zone defense was key to getting the road victory, and ranks first in the conference. Also, defensive lineman Andre Monroe will be a good blocking matchup for Ohio State’s offense.
OSU’s defense will have to pressure CJ Brown because of his ability to both pass and run the ball well. Containing him has got to be high on the Buckeyes’ recipe for success. Their secondary will need to be more attentive this week seeing as Maryland scored three touchdowns on big yard plays.
Maryland will come strong in the first half with Stefon Diggs and the Terps’ deep backfield making several plays, but ultimately Ohio State will prevail by the fourth quarter, especially if they continue to utilize Ezekiel Elliot. The game will be a quarterback duel between the Terrapins’ C.J. Brown or Caleb Rowe and OSU’s JT Barrett, with Barrett’s Buckeyes ending the game as victors.
*Section Photo credit to Michael Hickey, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Chris Howell, Herald Times
