Readers worry unbeaten Maryland will test OSU
Ohio State is back from an idle week and set to host Maryland on Saturday in a matchup of unbeatens.
The Terrapins gave the Buckeyes a major scare last November in College Park, but have not toppled OSU since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
The upcoming game drew a majority of this week’s questions from The Dispatch’s subscriber text group. (Find out how to subscribe at Dispatch.com, where there are also more submissions to the mailbox and responses.)
I am worried about Maryland. How does Ohio State stop the Terrapins quarterback?
Taulia Tagovailoa is, indeed, on Ohio State’s radar. Coach Ryan Day on Tuesday mentioned his experience and playmaking. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles followed up by referring to him as a “dynamic player.”
They know this firsthand. When the Buckeyes visited the Terrapins last season, Tagovailoa accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and engineered a number of explosive plays. Five of the 26 passes he completed went for 25 yards or more.
Disrupting Tagovailoa is difficult. So far this season, he has seen only 4.3% of the pressures he’s faced turn into sacks, according to data from Pro Football Focus. It’s the second-lowest pressure-to-sack rate among starting quarterbacks in the Big Ten. If the Buckeyes are unable to convert pressures into sacks, they’ll need to be disciplined in the back end as Tagovailoa extends plays.
Ohio State has faced veteran quarterbacks in previous weeks between Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman and
Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed, but neither is as creative as Tagovailoa.
How does the Buckeyes’ offensive line stack up against Maryland’s defensive line? How have the Terrapins fared in trying to stop the third- and fourth-and-short runs?
The Buckeyes have had issues in short-yardage situations since last season, and those were in the spotlight at Notre Dame, most notably during an endaround with Emeka Egbuka on fourth down at the
Irish’s 11-yard line that was stuffed, nearly stymining their comeback with 4:12 left.
The matchup with Maryland should prove more favorable. Excluding garbage time snaps, the Terrapins’ defense ranks 106th in the nation in rushing power success rate at 82.3%, according to collegefootballdata.com. The metric measures the percentage of runs in which 2 yards or less are required for a first down or touchdown that are converted, meaning teams have converted an average of four out of five times against Maryland. This is an opportunity for the Buckeyes to start picking up the tough yards.
The offensive line has been offensive. Maryland will more than likely bring pressure and lots of it. What can the coaches do to help the line?
In his first month as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Kyle Mccord showed an ability to get rid of the ball quickly, compensating for an inexperience offensive line that is bound to surrender pressure. Mccord’s average time to throw has been 2.66 seconds, the fastest among the Big Ten’s starting passers, according to PFF.
The Buckeyes should continue to put Mccord in situations that allow him to distribute to his targets at a fast pace and put less stress on the line.
Can you tell us how to watch the Buckeyes vs Boilermakers game if we don’t have Peacock?
Find another household that does. Or pay $5.99/month. There otherwise aren’t many options for viewing the Buckeyes’ Oct. 14 game at Purdue. Ohio State is now on streaming.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on Facebook and X , the platform formerly known as Twitter. He can also be contacted at jkaufman@dispatch.com.