Ohio State walked away from their homecoming game against a struggling Maryland team with a dominant 45-16 victory, following up a dominating win against Iowa. But quarterback Julian Sayin spent way too much of Saturday afternoon under duress, and that’s the kind of trouble that gets amplified real fast when you’re staring down the barrel of an undefeated, defending College Football Playoff national champion next week.
Too Much Heat on the QB
Yeah, it was a blowout, and Jeremiah Smith snagged two more jaw-dropping touchdowns. But head coach Ryan Day isn’t going to be thrilled with how often Sayin was under pressure. Maryland’s defensive front might be underrated, but the sheer volume of pressures led to some rushed throws, misfires (he went 13-of-21), a few sacks, a fumble, and even an interception. Look, against a struggling team like Maryland, you can sometimes get away with it. But when Indiana rolls into Bloomington next Saturday, their defense isn’t going to be so forgiving. The margin for error shrinks to nothing. It’s clear the injuries on the offensive line aren’t helping, but neither are some of the missed assignments we all saw. They’ve gotta sort that out this week, no question.
The Run Game and Defense Stepping Up Big
It wasn’t all bad news, though. The running game is absolutely finding its rhythm, hitting over 200 yards for the second week in a row. Bo Jackson was a beast, carrying the ball 23 times for 107 yards, averaging 4.7 yards a pop. Maryland put up some resistance, but Jackson and the guys ran hard through contact, finished off their runs, and even busted out a long one for a touchdown. You can see the development, the improvement, even with the offensive line not at full strength. That’s a huge positive to build on. On the flip side, the defense backed up last week’s stellar showing against Iowa with another solid performance. They allowed just 146 yards of total offense and really only let one long drive end in a score out of the 16 points Maryland put up. Containing a mobile quarterback was also a big plus, and that kind of effort is exactly what they’ll need going forward.
Next Up: Undefeated Indiana in a Massive Clash
So, the positives are there: the running game is cooking, the defense is looking tough after what felt like a “remodel” through the first four games. But man, those penalties were a problem too, and when you combine that with the pressure Sayin was facing, it’s a huge concern. Next Saturday, it’s a major clash against the undefeated, defending College Football Playoff national champion Indiana. If Ohio State truly has designs on winning the Big Ten and contending for a national championship, they’ve got to clean up those offensive line issues and penalties, and they’ve got to do it now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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