Betting Line: Ohio State -34.5 | O/U* 55.5
Ohio State made history against Iowa in Week 5, and it wasn’t just Jeremiah Smith.
Smith was a major storyteller, now holding the triple crown in the Buckeyes’ record books as the program’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. However, as a team, Ohio State’s 31-14 victory over the Hawkeyes also tied the team’s biggest road win at Kinnick Stadium since 2013, matching Purdue’s 17-point win in 2021.
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Smith stole the show with 11 receiving yards and two touchdowns, his second straight game with at least 200 receiving yards. That said, another great performance by Julian Sayin, who, with Smith’s help, threw for just under 700 yards with eight total touchdowns. The running game is also slowly coming together, with Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson combining for 142 yards on 4.7 carries against the Hawkeyes.
Ohio State’s defense had a bit of an up-and-down start, notching a takeaway on a sack fumble in the third game of the game but going on to score points on two Iowa drives. Matt Patricia’s team then closed in though on Iowa’s next four points with an interception. The Buckeyes held the Hawkeyes to 39 yards rushing on 1.9 yards per carry.
Ryan Day’s team looks better week after week, and now they are looking to bring that momentum back home to Columbus, where they will host a Maryland squad that has dropped three straight games.
The Terrapins aren’t a very good football team overall, but they have the best quarterback in Malik Washington that Ohio State has to take seriously.
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The sophomore threw for nearly 1,300 yards with seven touchdowns, but was prone to turnovers with six interceptions on the year. His top target, Wyoming transfer Chris Durr Jr., leads the team with 461 yards and five touchdowns on 42 receptions.
Defense is where the bulk of the issues are for Maryland. The Terps have allowed 102 points in their last two games against UCLA and Nebraska, and their scoring defense ranks 116th nationally this season at 30.2 points per game.
Unity has its own standards, however. Defensive linemen Derrick LeBlanc and DD Holmes have combined for five sacks on the year, while one-time OSU offensive tackle Messiah Delhomme leads the team in interceptions.
This is a bit of a perfect matchup for Ohio State before a three game gauntlet against Indiana, USC and Oregon. Maryland probably won’t challenge the Buckeyes to win the game, but the Terps are doing well enough in some key areas to prove some pain points on both sides of the ball.
All odds are humanity FanDuel Sportsbook.