It’s time to hit the home stretch for the Ohio State football team. It’s the season in which it needs to keep things going towards a special year. Both idle weeks are behind the team, and there’s only four games left to go. All of a sudden, there’s there’s the added benefit (or curse), of having a No. 1 ranking in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
OSU now welcomes in a Maryland team that has seen a good start to the season spiral out of control. And it’s unlikely that it comes into the Horseshoe against this Ohio State team and finds a way to be competitive, much less win the game.
To that end, here’s five reasons the Buckeyes take it to the Maryland Terrapins at Noon on Saturday.
Next … The gap
There is a serious talent mismatch
It’s not like Maryland doesn’t have some athletes that can make plays. It just doesn’t have the depth and number of high-end athletes across the board to hang with a team like Ohio State. The Buckeyes routinely bring in top five classes, stockpile talent, then throw it out on the field when the next man is up.
The game last year may have been close, but it wasn’t because the ‘Terps matched up well. You can go man-to-man across the offense and defensive eleven, and OSU wins the look, feel, and see test in almost every scenario. Heck, a lot of times the guy that’s listed as the next in the two-deep would get the nod.
When all else fails, the athletes in scarlet and gray are going to win more matchups than they lose against the ones in red, white, black, and gold — or whatever other combination of colors it throws out there.
Next … The mindset
Ohio State has more to play for
I’m not really sure how this seems to happen every year in Colleg Park, but the Terps seem to race out to a hot start only to lose a couple of games then come crashing back to earth like a low-orbit satellite. I mean put on the film of the 63-20 beatdown of Syracuse, then watch the Terrapins losses against Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota and half of the rest of the Big Ten.
Now tell me you see the same team. I’ll wait.
This has all the earmarks of a team that doesn’t believe in itself any longer, and has turned the page to the offseason. It’s hard when you put in that much work and see the season go down the drain after about six weeks or so.
On the other hand, Ohio State has everything right in front of it and seems to be a team out to prove everyone wrong, The Buckeyes are intentional, focused, driven and motivated. I don’t see a let up all the way through, and certainly not against a team that doesn’t know what it is.
Next … Location, location, location
Maryland isn’t going to shock the world in the ‘Shoe
Everybody keeps pointing to last year as proof that the Terrapins might be able to hang with Ohio State on Saturday. Don’t buy it. This Buckeye squad is a much different team, and we have to remember that Maryland was at home and in its comfort zone last year.
The only game the Terrapins won on the road this year is at Rutgers and everyone’s getting in on that action. Sometimes the architect of an upset can be forged at home when even a modest band of supporters get the emotion and belief going.
That ain’t happening on the banks of the Olentangy this year. No way, no how.
Next … A different look on defense
This Ohio State defense is different
We don’t have to remind you of all the cuts and bruises the Ohio State defense suffered on the defensive side of the ball last year. There were far too many big plays given up throughout the year, and it was on display in the Maryland game too.
Defenders played tentative, were out of position routinely and seemed to be lost in paralysis by analysis at times. That’s old news in 2019.
The new additions to the defensive coaching staff have simplified the scheme, mixed in more zone coverage, and the result is a unit that might be the best in America. There is almost no chance the Terrapins get things cooking on offense like they did last year.
Next … The other defense
The Maryland defense won’t be able to stop the Ohio State offense
Ohio State should be able to score a bushel of points on Saturday. That’s because the Maryland defense has been far from a bright spot this year. It’s giving up 30 points a game (86th in FBS) and about 414 yard per game (85th).
And that’s against teams not as explosive as what the Terps are going to face this weekend. Just keep in mind that Ohio State completely dismantled the nation’s No. 1 ranked defense just a couple of weeks ago when it made Wisconsin look average on that side of the ball.
You don’t know where it’s going to come from, but the chances of Ohio State scoring in bunches is something I’d bet on all day, every day. It could — and probably will — get ugly.
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