Recap

Chase Young’s suspension filled the headlines going into this game, and the concern was more how long would he be out more than how will Ohio State preform against Maryland. Ohio State opened up as 44.5 point favorite and nearly covered that in the first half. The first string team played just the first half, and lead 42-0. Running 94 plays, Ohio State racked up 705 total yards, and limited Maryland to 139 total yards. Ohio State did not need Chase this game and wont need him next week when they go on the road to Rutgers.

The Penn State game took a hit with the Nittany Lions losing to Minnesota, however, for rooting interest, Buckeye fans should root for the Golden Gophers to stay undefeated as a potential matchup for the Big Ten Championship game. It is hard to believe there are only 3 regular season games left, but the Buckeyes have kept themselves in a spot to be a contender for one of the top 4 teams.

Justin Fields had a decent day, and still accounted for 4 total touchdowns. He passed for 200 yards, while adding 28 yards on the ground. The offense threw in a few newer plays that we have not seen up to this point including some jet sweeps, but I believe Ryan Day is just trying to make opposing coaches waste time in the film room trying to prepare for the Buckeyes. 

JK Dobbins didn’t reach the 100 yard mark, but still was able to rush for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries. He split some carries in the first half with Master Teague, who although did not rush for a touchdown, was still able to lead the team with 111 yards rushing. The backups got a lot of playing time this game in the second half, as Marcus Crowley rushed for 82 yards and a got a touchdown. Demario McCall, who is not the starting punt returner, added 78 yards himself and 2 touchdowns.

Freshman Garrett Wilson led the team this game with 82 yards and a touchdown. He did have a great catch for a touchdown that was called back though due to a holding penalty. KJ Hill was second on the team with 56 yards and a touchdown. Chris Olave and Ben Victor scored with a receiving touchdown as well.

Not a bad game when 8 different players score a touchdown.

Turning Point

Another game, another blowout. This has been one of the tougher sections the write so far this season, but that is a credit to Ryan Day and his staff for having a game plan and his team ready. If there is one moment that stuck out, and solidified how aggressive the Buckeyes were going to be, it would be the onside kick, Ohio State went up 14-0 in the first quarter, and then on the ensuing kick off, Haubeil kicked a perfect arching kick to the right and Chris Olave was wide open to catch the ball 22 yards away. This gives the remaining teams time to spend game planning for this. Ohio State scored, and took a 21-0 lead and never looked back. 

Star of the Game

Ryan Day. I usually got with a player for this spot, but Ohio State did what was expected to do against an over matched opponent. With the distraction of Chase Young that hit on Friday, Ryan Day has kept his team focused. HE has some coaching opportunities for the younger players which resulted in the only two touchdowns against them, but scoring 73 points is impressive, and he now moves to 12-0 as the head coach. With Rutgers on the docket next week, he should still be undefeated as the Buckeyes welcome Penn State.

Playoff Picture

Ohio State didn’t need Chase Young to limit Maryland to only 139 total yards. The first team led 42-0 going into half time. That and the 73 total points will be enough to keep Ohio State in consideration at the top of the playoff rankings. LSU beating Alabama on the road though might cause some debate, but Ohio State is still positioned as one of the top 2 teams in the country.

Looking Ahead

Ohio State (9-0) travels to face Rutgers (2-7) at 3:30pm

Maryland (3-7) heads into a bye week before  hosting Nebraska on November 23rd.

Photo credit: The Lantern