The Maryland Terrapins and the Ohio State Buckeyes meet Saturday in college football action from Ohio Stadium. The Terrapins took on Indiana over the weekend. In that matchup Maryland ended up having few issues in a blowout victory. As for Ohio State, they’re coming off an open week. The Buckeyes last played versus Notre Dame in a three-point victory. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
Maryland Terrapins
The Terrapins stormed out of the gate this year, rattling off wins in their first four games. Maryland beat Towson 38-6 in the opener, then took out Charlotte 38-20. Next came a nice 42-14 win over Virginia in game three and a 31-9 win versus Michigan State. Terrapins QB Taulia Tagovailoa finished with 223 yards, three scores and a pick in the win over the Spartans.
Back on Saturday versus Indiana, the Terrapins scored 21 points in the first quarter and rolled to a dominant win 44-17. Tagovailoa bagged 352 yards with five touchdowns. Tai Felton was the leading receiver on seven catches, 134 yards and three scores.
Maryland Terrapins Team Facts
Maryland has lost each of its last 14 October games as a road underdog.
Maryland has failed to cover the spread in each of its last nine October games as a road underdog.
Maryland has won the first half in each of its last four games against conference opponents.
Eleven of Maryland's last 12 games as an underdog against top-10 AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Over on the Ohio State side, they also recorded four straight wins coming out of the gate this year. The Buckeyes had no issues in their first three victories. First came a 23-3 win over Indiana, then a 35-7 blowout versus Youngstown State. Ohio State kept it rolling versus Western Kentucky with a 63-10 win on September 16.
The next weekend in the Notre Dame road matchup, the Buckeyes had their first real test of the season. Ohio State held a slim 3-0 lead at the break and eventually took the win 17-14. QB Kyle McCord finished with 240 yards on 21-of-37 passing, and TreVeyon Henderson added 104 rush yards with a score. Tops in receiving was Emeka Egbuka’s 96 yards on seven catches.
Ohio State Buckeyes Team Facts
Ohio State has won each of its last 45 home games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Ohio State has covered the spread in seven of its last eight October games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Ohio State has won the first quarter in each of its last seven home games against conference opponents.
Ohio State has won the first half in each of its last 17 games against conference opponents at Ohio Stadium.
Each of Ohio State's last six October games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
Ohio State ranked 1st among FBS teams for Q1 points per game last season (13.0).
Ohio State ranked 1st among FBS teams for Q3 points per game last season (11.5).
Maryland ranked 4th among FBS teams for Q3 points allowed per game last season (2.5).
Maryland ranked 13th among FBS teams for H2 points allowed per game last season (8.9).
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll take a stab on the Terrapins here. This should be a fun matchup regardless, though. Maryland didn’t have a ton of issues versus an overmatched Indiana team, posting 472 total yards (352 passing) and 8.3 yards per play. That makes 31 or more points in every game this year; the Terrapins offense is cooking these days.
As for Ohio State, they’ll be ready to go after a solid win over Notre Dame and an extra week of rest. The Buckeyes managed 366 yards of offense versus the Irish (240 passing) with 19 first downs, 10-of-17 on third-down tries and zero turnovers. Ohio State had just 25:01 in time of possession though, so the defense got a lot of work. I like the Buckeyes to keep playing well in this one, with Maryland setting a quick enough pace to cover. Should be an interesting game to watch.
