No. 2 Ohio State escaped the scare from Maryland but nonetheless completed a 43-30 victory to move to 11-0, which led to a brutal showdown against No. 3 Michigan on November 26. They used a 17-0 lead in the third quarter to rally ahead and rally late in the fourth quarter – despite an all-out effort by the Terrapins – to remain undefeated.
With the passing game petering out, Ohio State turned on freshman running back Dallan Hayden down the stretch. Hayden rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns, setting up an 88-yard scoring drive to give Ohio State control of the game. Quarterback CJ Stroud was inconsistent, completing just 18 of 30 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. OSU’s two touchdowns in the second half were triggered by a blocked punt and a long kickoff return.
The Terps got a slick performance from quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Tagovailoa hit nine different tackles by throwing dozens to tight end CJ Dipper and wide receiver Jeshon Jones.
Maryland had one last push to try to take the lead with less than a minute remaining, but allowed a pair of sacks with Tagovailoa stripped of the latter for a fumble return for a touchdown.
The win ensures that the game against #3 Michigan next week will be a battle of 11-0 programs hoping to win a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game, with the winner effectively punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff.
Here are more takeaways from this coming Saturday.
The Buckeyes found another bell cow again
Running back Trevion Henderson was expected to be an All-American contender for the Buckeyes this year. When he was hampered by injuries, Maian Williams took over with four 100-yard performances. But now with Williams sidelined, Hayden has taken over the responsibilities of the bell cow.
The freshman from Memphis, Tennessee, has been incredible in relief, rushing for 102 yards and a score last week and exploding for 146 yards and three touchdowns in the win against Maryland. During the Buckeyes’ 88-yard touchdown drive by two scores, Hayden touched the ball on seven consecutive plays to start the drive to set up the 3-yard touchdown run.
Ohio State relied on the running game almost every moment. It’s a massive development that the Buckeyes have three different running backs to go up.
Ohio’s surprising shortcomings
Stroud is still the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but he put another mediocrity in a prime spot. For only the fourth time in his career but the third time this season, the youngster has finished below the 250-yard passing mark, completing just 53.6% of his passes over the past three games.
The Buckeyes have the most intimidating set of receivers in college football, but the ball was out of their reach as coach Ryan Day trusted the running game. During a key drill, Day put the ball into Stroud’s hands on fourth and one, and a fumbled pass failed to give Maryland another shot to take the lead.
The Buckeyes defense stepped up the stretch to keep the game from getting out of hand, but will that be the case against Michigan? Or maybe Georgia down the line? Ohio State has not done a satisfactory job of answering this question.
The main effects of the game
Ohio State was able to pull away near the end of the game, but a loss would have been a huge blow to the Buckeyes as they try to make the College Football Playoff case. After losing the first two regular season games of the Ryan Day era in 2021, the Buckeyes have played their food several times this season.
The victory over Northwestern came by just 14 points, and the Penn State game fell apart. The 21-10 win over Notre Dame doesn’t seem as important now as it did back in the day when the Irish were in the top five. It’s increasingly difficult to tell if the close games are about Ohio State’s focus or ability. Fortunately for Ohio State, the Buckeyes qualified 11-0. All eyes will be on Columbus in Week 13 with a playoff spot on the line.
