Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Maryland Terrapins: Keys To The Game
The Ohio State Buckeyes left College Park, Maryland, last season breathing a huge sigh of relief.
The Maryland Terrapins had a chance to tie and win the game on a potential game-winning drive, but a strip sack and scoop-and-score from linebacker Steele Chambers helped seal the Buckeyes' 43-30 win.
Maryland returns star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa in 2023, and he's a big piece in helping the Terrapins become a solid program, but for now, they're still likely punching up to perennial Big Ten East powerhouses in Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.
The Buckeyes host Maryland Saturday at Ohio Stadium on the same weekend they will host their Homecoming and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
Ohio State wins if...
... it feeds TreVeyon Henderson.
Henderson left last season's contest early with the foot injury that lingered throughout the year, and he never shies away from taking an opportunity to have a chip on his shoulder.
In College Park last season, Henderson was limited to 19 yards on 11 carries but did have a 31-yard touchdown reception to open the scoring early in the first quarter.
In last year's matchup, it was the Dallan Hayden show, as the then-freshman racked up 146 yards and a trio of touchdown runs.
In eight games against the Terrapins, Ohio State has amassed 1,977 yards and 32 touchdowns, averaging 247.1 yards and four scores per game on the ground.
The last two years Ohio State has rushed for 166 and 160 yards, respectively, against Maryland, which could have been a byproduct of having Stroud under center. However, look for Henderson to come back with a vengeance in 2023 against the closest team to his Hopewell, Virginia, hometown.
Maryland wins if...
... it has quick-strike abilities through the air.
In 2022, Tagovailoa put on a show with his playmaking abilities. He got the ball in the hands of his skill position players, completing an efficient 26 of 36 passes for 293 yards, a pair of scores and no interceptions.
Ohio State's pass defense appears to have righted its wrongs in coverage, as Denzel Burke has emerged as one of the better cornerbacks in the country.
Maryland's passing game is 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision — six spots ahead of where Western Kentucky is at. When the Buckeyes faced the Hilltoppers in Week 3, they held Austin Reed and Co. to 204 yards on 22 completions for one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Buckeyes held Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman to 17-for-25, 175 yards and a touchdown, and Tagovailoa will be another barometer for Ohio State's pass defense.
