Expert Ohio State football predictions for Maryland game
Before Ohio State enters "Michigan week," the Buckeyes have to travel to College Park, M.D. to play a bowl-bound Terrapins squad looking to take the steam out of the Buckeyes' annual showdown with the Wolverines.
The No.2-ranked Buckeyes (10-0 overall, 7-0 in Big Ten) need one more victory to enter their final game against No. 3-ranked Michigan (10-0, 7-0) undefeated and set up what would be one of the most important games in the rivalry's history. But Maryland, losers of back-to-back games and coming off a 30-0 loss to Penn State, is 6-4 on the year and 3-4 in Big Ten play.
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It's a step up in competition for the Buckeyes, who have played the last-place teams in the Big Ten West and Big Ten East in the month of November so far.
But Ohio State is still a 27.5 point favorite.
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So the smart people in Vegas have their picks, but what about the experts at The Columbus Dispatch and Ryan McFadden of the Baltimore Sun? Here's how they see the game:
Bill Rabinowitz
Ohio State beat writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 49 Maryland 17
Is there a chance Ohio State is looking ahead to next week? Sure. Will it matter? Probably not. Maryland has a dangerous quarterback in Taulia Tagovailoa and some talented receivers, but Tagovailoa has taken a beating this season and it shows. The Buckeyes should be able to dominate in the trenches as they have in most games against the Terrapins, assuming that not all of OSU's running backs are sidelined by injury. Don't expect a replay of 2018 when Maryland took the Buckeyes to overtime. This Buckeye defense is much better than that one.
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Joey Kaufman
Ohio State beat writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 45, Maryland 17
The anticipation of next week’s clash with Michigan is so great that it’s difficult to ignore at least the possibility of a letdown for the Buckeyes. But don’t expect them to be caught in a trap game at this point in the season. Too much is at stake for a 10-0 team holding national championship ambitions, plus quarterback C.J. Stroud is coming off a bounce-back game. Though Ohio State’s defense could be tested on the perimeter by Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland’s star quarterback, and a capable receiving threats, it won’t be enough to make a difference.
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Rob Oller
Sports columnist
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 52, Maryland 17
Don't be fooled into thinking the Buckeyes might get caught looking ahead to Michigan. They won't. And even if they do, the Terrapins are downright terrible once the weather turns cold. Since 2012 they are 8-34 in November. Ohio State will pound the rock against a defense ranked 69th against the run. The Buckeyes also will air it out at will. Expect at least 500 yards of offense out of OSU as Maryland struggles to do much of anything right in a season that began with promise before the trap door opened. The Buckeyes' goals are basic: win and keep everyone healthy.
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Colin Gay
Real-time reporter
The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State 42, Maryland 16
Ohio State was caught looking ahead in its last trip to College Park, beating Maryland by one point. Now the Buckeyes face the Terrapins on the road with even more on the line. But this particular meeting shouldn't be an issue for the Buckeyes. Even if Taulia Tagovailoa looks more like the quarterback leading the fourth-best passing offense in the Big Ten than what he was against Wisconsin and Penn State, Ohio State's offense should be too much for Maryland's defense to keep up with. The Buckeyes' latest trip to "Terrapin Station" should be a bit of a breeze.
Ryan McFadden
Maryland beat writer
Baltimore Sun
Ohio State 40, Maryland 21
Maryland’s offense will put together a much better performance than the past two weeks. However, Ohio State will remind the Terps once again that they still have a ways to go to compete against the top teams in the Big Ten. I’m expecting C.J. Stroud and company to take advantage of Maryland’s defensive struggles in the first half.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State vs Maryland prediction in Big Ten football action
