Ohio State Football vs. Maryland Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 6
By Ryan Stano
It’s time for some Ohio State football! Refreshed and recharged after the bye week, the Buckeyes are ready to take on an undefeated foe into the Shoe. Surprisingly, Maryland is not ranked despite coming into this matchup 5-0. It seems the voters in the polls aren’t paying attention.
We do know that the Buckeyes are paying attention. After an emotional victory over Notre Dame, Ohio State is refocused on winning the Big Ten for the first time in three years. It starts with beating Maryland this weekend against a good football team.
Ohio State football vs. Maryland Odds, Spread, and Total
According to FanDuel, Ohio State sits as an 18.5-point favorite over Maryland. I’m a little surprised it’s that low, but the Buckeyes have shown they aren’t as potent on offense as they have been in past years. Instead, they lean on their defense to win close games.
That is also reflected in the total for this game. The over/under sits at 55.5. Normally, the Buckeyes would be able to hit that total themselves. That hasn’t been the case so far this season. Perhaps this is the game where they can get the more explosive elements of their offense going.
Ohio State football vs. Maryland Key Players to Watch
For Ohio State, it’s Kyle McCord. I want to see if he can open up the passing game now that he has that epic drive to beat Notre Dame. If he can start having big plays in the passing game, this offense fully unlocks its potential and could become borderline unstoppable.
For the Terrapins, it’s Taulia Tagovailoa. This is now his fifth year at Maryland. He’s completing 65.7% of his passes and has 13 touchdowns in his first five games. Maryland likes to sling it around the field too, so it’s paramount that the Buckeyes get some pressure on him.
Ohio State football vs. Maryland Prediction and Pick
This is not the same Maryland team that we have seen in years past. They are legitimately good. I don’t think they are good enough to challenge the Buckeyes though. I think that gritty win over Notre Dame was the confidence booster this program needed.
Ohio State should cover the spread in this one. Give me the Buckeyes 35-14. I think they really start to pull away in the second half of this one.