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Ohio State football: Confidence level against Maryland

By Eric Boggs

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 19: Head coaches Michael Locksley of the Maryland Terrapins and Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes shake hands after the game at SECU Stadium on November 19, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 19: Head coaches Michael Locksley of the Maryland Terrapins and Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes shake hands after the game at SECU Stadium on November 19, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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When the Ohio State football team takes the field on Saturday, they will do so against another undefeated foe, this time in Big Ten East division rival Maryland. In the previous four games last month in September, every opponent the Buckeyes faced had zero losses before facing Ohio State. The last time Ohio State played five consecutive undefeated teams in a row was in 1940. That 1940 Buckeye squad didn’t fare so well, going 2-3 in those five games.

Ohio State will look to avoid losing to Maryland for the first time in school history on Saturday, as the Buckeyes are a perfect 8-0 against the Terrapins. Last season’s 43-30 win was closer than the final score indicated, with the Terps leading at halftime, and who could forget the 2018 52-51 come-from-behind win? Both of those games, however, took place in College Park, MD.

Ohio State has never won by less than 21 points against Maryland when playing in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium. That margin of victory might get challenged this Saturday, as Mike Locksley brings into Columbus a team that statistically looks improved on both sides of the ball.

There will be plenty of interesting storylines being played out this Saturday in the Shoe, including the fact that the Maryland fans are feeling snubbed by the AP voters who have yet to put the Terps into the top 25 despite their 5-0 record. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is having his best statistical year yet and many feel he should be mentioned as a possible Heisman candidate.

Maryland offensive coordinator, former Michigan OC, Josh Gattis, makes his triumphant return to Columbus. The last time Ohio State saw him, he was calling plays in Ann Arbor, MI. when the Wolverines scored 42 on the Buckeyes. He famously stated in the media that Ohio State was a soft program.

This was a big enough game for FOX to send the A-team to Columbus along with Big Noon Kickoff for the biggest game in the Big Ten this week. Let’s dive into the five different categories and find out what my confidence level in a Buckeye victory over Maryland will be.

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