As Ohio State returns to the field this week to prepare for a primetime matchup with Indiana, I looked back at the Buckeyes' 66-17 win against Maryland to see what it means for Ohio State long-term and what trends could continue both offensively and defensively.
First quarter
The way Maryland’s offense attacked Ohio State’s defense in the first quarter is very familiar. And what the Buckeyes were giving the Terrapins was also familiar — those check downs and throws in the flat, where the defenders rally to the tackle, limiting the receiver to two or three yards, keeping the offense behind schedule.
Now this is an approach that works against a team like Maryland, a team that was down a few offensive weapons in the receiver room and doesn’t have the elusiveness in space as say a TreVeyon Henderson.
Ohio State still showed its youth on that first drive. A combination of a corner and a go-route flummoxed cornerback Denzel Burke, allowing WR Darryl Jones to break free, but not grab an overthrown ball from Taulia Tagovailoa.
But the Buckeyes also showed progress, mixing two-high safeties and man coverage on a third down in the red zone with a four-man rush that got to Tagovailoa before he could find an open receiver.
This is a perfect mix of a defense that’s improving, but still learning.
Pair that with an offense that’s finding its rhythm, and you have a pretty damn good football team.
I mean, look at quarterback C.J. Stroud’s first drive. It wasn’t a normal drive, but it was something that showed off his patience in a major way. From an 11-yard curl to Chris Olave to an 18-yard pass to Garrett Wilson in mesh facing zone to a 14-yard curl by Jaxon Smith-Njigba in which he broke a tackle to secure a first down, this is a quarterback that’s just learned to take what he’s been given and let his receivers do the work in space.
The big plays come later, but Ohio State’s success on offense is when it can pick up the tempo a bit and just pound athleticism on opposing defenses, something the Buckeyes will have a chance to do against Indiana Saturday.
Second quarter
This is about to get a lot shorter, with a lot of major ideas coming that Ohio State can take from its big plays moving forward against Indiana.
But one play does stick out.
It’s 3rd-and-16 at the start of the second quarter. Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison bull rushes a Maryland tackle, chasing Tagovailoa every which way in the backfield before trying for a shoestring sack, one that he misses. It’s a play that ends with a pass breakup by Lathan Ransom, but it’s a play, against any of the teams Ohio State faces in the second half of the season — Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan — that opponents could convert on. Ohio State needs to finish plays like that to be successful in the long run.
For the offense, it’s more of the same: using the misdirection of a play-action play with the running back and the jet sweep to allow Olave to beat two Maryland DBs for a 36-yard post, a 26-yard wheel route by Henderson, an eight-yard touchdown run by Master Teague behind tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere.
Even while the Maryland offense found its fair share of success moving the ball, it couldn’t come close to keeping up with Ohio State’s offense.
Third quarter
After 293 passing yards in the first half, Maryland had to open up to defend the pass instead of just focusing on Henderson and the run game. The freshman took advantage too, finding a massive hole and cutting back on his first carry of the third quarter.
This is something that actually worked for Indiana against the Michigan State run offense: limiting the amount of space Kenneth Walker III had to work with in the ground game. But the Spartans are not Ohio State.
It’s not something Maryland was able to do against the Buckeyes as Wilson simply beat a Maryland DB off the line of scrimmage for a 26-yard touchdown and Stroud found Olave on a 29-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 draped in defensive pass interference.
Also, Ohio State’s defense found a bit more momentum especially when Tagovailoa started to force things downfield, leading to sacks — including a big tackle for loss by Sevyn Banks on a cornerback blitz — and incompletions. But it’s also one that allowed a 43-yard catch and run by Rakim Jarrett in which he broke two tackles.
Fourth quarter
This is when it became the Craig Young show, taking in two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, continuing the Buckeyes’ defensive touchdown streak.
But long story short: it became too easy for the Buckeyes, and something that looks like it can be replicated in the second half of the season.
First quarter
The way Maryland’s offense attacked Ohio State’s defense in the first quarter is very familiar. And what the Buckeyes were giving the Terrapins was also familiar — those check downs and throws in the flat, where the defenders rally to the tackle, limiting the receiver to two or three yards, keeping the offense behind schedule.
Now this is an approach that works against a team like Maryland, a team that was down a few offensive weapons in the receiver room and doesn’t have the elusiveness in space as say a TreVeyon Henderson.
Ohio State still showed its youth on that first drive. A combination of a corner and a go-route flummoxed cornerback Denzel Burke, allowing WR Darryl Jones to break free, but not grab an overthrown ball from Taulia Tagovailoa.
But the Buckeyes also showed progress, mixing two-high safeties and man coverage on a third down in the red zone with a four-man rush that got to Tagovailoa before he could find an open receiver.
This is a perfect mix of a defense that’s improving, but still learning.
Pair that with an offense that’s finding its rhythm, and you have a pretty damn good football team.
I mean, look at quarterback C.J. Stroud’s first drive. It wasn’t a normal drive, but it was something that showed off his patience in a major way. From an 11-yard curl to Chris Olave to an 18-yard pass to Garrett Wilson in mesh facing zone to a 14-yard curl by Jaxon Smith-Njigba in which he broke a tackle to secure a first down, this is a quarterback that’s just learned to take what he’s been given and let his receivers do the work in space.
The big plays come later, but Ohio State’s success on offense is when it can pick up the tempo a bit and just pound athleticism on opposing defenses, something the Buckeyes will have a chance to do against Indiana Saturday.
Second quarter
This is about to get a lot shorter, with a lot of major ideas coming that Ohio State can take from its big plays moving forward against Indiana.
But one play does stick out.
It’s 3rd-and-16 at the start of the second quarter. Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison bull rushes a Maryland tackle, chasing Tagovailoa every which way in the backfield before trying for a shoestring sack, one that he misses. It’s a play that ends with a pass breakup by Lathan Ransom, but it’s a play, against any of the teams Ohio State faces in the second half of the season — Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan — that opponents could convert on. Ohio State needs to finish plays like that to be successful in the long run.
For the offense, it’s more of the same: using the misdirection of a play-action play with the running back and the jet sweep to allow Olave to beat two Maryland DBs for a 36-yard post, a 26-yard wheel route by Henderson, an eight-yard touchdown run by Master Teague behind tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere.
Even while the Maryland offense found its fair share of success moving the ball, it couldn’t come close to keeping up with Ohio State’s offense.
Third quarter
After 293 passing yards in the first half, Maryland had to open up to defend the pass instead of just focusing on Henderson and the run game. The freshman took advantage too, finding a massive hole and cutting back on his first carry of the third quarter.
This is something that actually worked for Indiana against the Michigan State run offense: limiting the amount of space Kenneth Walker III had to work with in the ground game. But the Spartans are not Ohio State.
It’s not something Maryland was able to do against the Buckeyes as Wilson simply beat a Maryland DB off the line of scrimmage for a 26-yard touchdown and Stroud found Olave on a 29-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 draped in defensive pass interference.
Also, Ohio State’s defense found a bit more momentum especially when Tagovailoa started to force things downfield, leading to sacks — including a big tackle for loss by Sevyn Banks on a cornerback blitz — and incompletions. But it’s also one that allowed a 43-yard catch and run by Rakim Jarrett in which he broke two tackles.
Fourth quarter
This is when it became the Craig Young show, taking in two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, continuing the Buckeyes’ defensive touchdown streak.
But long story short: it became too easy for the Buckeyes, and something that looks like it can be replicated in the second half of the season.
