No. 7 Buckeyes bury Maryland

COLUMBUS, Ohio – C.J. Stroud, who didn’t throw a pass in a college football game until five weeks ago, says he’s getting better at relaxing amid the chaos.

With his sore shoulder feeling better and some early wobbles behind him, Stroud is beginning to look less like an inexperienced freshman and more like Justin Fields, his unflappable predecessor at quarterback who led Ohio State to the College Football Playoff in both years as a starter.

“I’m just being more comfortable,” Stroud said after throwing five touchdowns in the No. 7 Buckeyes’ 66-17 pounding of Maryland on Saturday. “I mean, being myself. I’m really just relaxing back there, and I think my teammates have really helped me. And I feel like we’re starting to roll, get momentum.”

Coach Ryan Day sees it, too.

“I think his preparation has been excellent,” Day said. “I think he sees the field well. He’s got some good players around him, but he’s also making really good throws. His timing is right, he’s seeing the field, making good decisions. And so that is allowing us to run the offense and to be very efficient.”

Ohio State scored on nine straight possessions and piled up 598 yards of offense as the Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) had their way with the Terps (4-2, 1-2).

Stroud threw for 406 yards, including two touchdown passes each to star wideouts Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson against a depleted Maryland secondary.

“Last week and this week, we were damn near perfect,” Olave said.

Buckeyes freshman TreVeyon Henderson, after managing just 17 yards rushing in the first half, finished with 102 and two touchdowns. He also caught a 26-yard TD pass in the first half. Master Teague had a touchdown plunge as Ohio State beat Maryland for the seventh consecutive time.

It wasn’t until the Buckeyes’ 10th and final drive of the game, when the regulars were all out of the game, that the Terps managed to stop them on downs.

Ohio State “had guys look like they fell out of airplanes, they were so wide open,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Ohio State’s flashy offensive display should garner some attention and maybe a few more poll points.

UP NEXT

Maryland: After a week off, the Terps host Minnesota.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes play at Indiana on Oct. 23.