Terps Football: 5 Thoughts Before Maryland/Ohio State

Game Information

Opponent: #7 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten Conference)
Location: Ohio Stadium (102,780)
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: FOX, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 6-0 Ohio State

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Following their first loss of the season at the hands of Iowa last weekend, Maryland hits the road to face another Top 10 opponent in #7 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon. They’ve never beaten the Buckeyes in any of their six meetings. Last year’s game was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Terrapins’ program, and they lost in 2019 by a score of 73-14.

Ohio State is coming off of three straight victories over Akron, Rutgers, and Tulsa. Like Maryland, they’ll have a bye week following this game. Ryan Day is in his third season as the Buckeyes’ head coach, and has been on the staff in Columbus, OH since 2017. Kevin Wilson has spent the last five years as the team’s offensive coordinator, and Kerry Coombs is in his second season as their defensive coordinator.

1. What the Hell Happened Last Week?

In a game that presented itself as a tremendous opportunity for head coach Michael Locksley’s team to prove that they’ve made progress towards being able to compete with the best teams in the Big Ten Conference, they fell flat on their faces once again. It was a familiar sight for Maryland fans, who’ve become far too accustomed to their team getting obliterated by ranked conference opponents. With another game against a Top 10 team this week, they’ll be tested to the fullest extent once again.

2. Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers

On last week’s episode of Talking Terps, BSL analyst Pat Donohue predicted that this game would come down to the turnover margin. After turning the ball over seven times and forcing none, it’s safe to say that Maryland’s miscues were the biggest deciding factor. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who hadn’t made a turnover-worthy throw through the team’s first four games, threw five interceptions. As has been seen from him in the past, he was unable to shake off his first mistake and allowed things to spiral out of control. If the Terrapins want to have any chance of competing in this week’s game, they’ll have to take much better care of the football.

3. Defense Didn’t Have Much Chance

With Iowa holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes of this game and Maryland’s offense turning the ball over deep in their own territory multiple times, defensive coordinator Brian Stewart’s unit didn’t have much of a chance to keep things close last weekend. They’ll have a much bigger test against a much better offense this week, as the Buckeyes are starting to hit their stride both on the ground and through the air. They currently own the second-best offense in the country, averaging 556 yards per game. They’re also scoring the fourth-most points per game, averaging 45.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns last week in Ohio State’s win against Rutgers, and he’s completing 65% of his pass attempts so far this season. TreVeyon Henderson is their leading running back; he’s run for seven touchdowns already this year and averages a whopping 9 yards per carry. This freshman duo has a chance to make waves as they begin to work their way through the meat of their conference schedule.

4. Undisciplined Play Continues

Ever since he took over as the team’s head coach in 2019, Locksley has expressed frustration with Maryland’s penalty issues. Lack of discipline has plagued the program for years, and it was no different last week. The team committed 10 penalties for 82 yards, including multiple that would’ve ended drives by the Hawkeyes. If Maryland wants to compete in these sorts of games, it obviously starts with fixing their turnovers but has to be followed closely by more disciplined play and avoiding costly turnovers.

5. Anomaly or Trend?

Ohio State presents another opportunity for the Terrapins this weekend. If they continue last week’s trend and get blown out again, the rumblings about the future of this program under Locksley’s leadership will start to get a bit louder. While it’s extremely unlikely that they move on from him anytime soon, there will rightfully be more doubt around the vision that he’s been selling. However if they manage to keep this game competitive, they can show that last week was an anomaly and that they’re actually closer to their goals than was originally thought. It’ll be a tall task, but it starts on Saturday afternoon.