Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get their perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
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MARYLAND TERRAPINS |
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6-4 (3-4 B1G) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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3:30 P.M. – SATURDAY, NOV. 19 MARYLAND STADIUM COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND |
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ABC WatchESPN |
Going into Ohio State’s final road trip of the season, we welcome in Wesley Brown from InsideMDSports for a discussion on the Maryland Terrapins, who have a 6-4 record this season but have struggled so far in November, suffering a 23-10 loss to Wisconsin and a 30-0 loss to Penn State.
What’s happened to the Terrapins’ offense – which had scored at least 27 points in all of its first eight games – and why does Maryland struggle in November every year? What has enabled the Terps to become bowl-eligible, and what have been their biggest shortcomings in their defeats? And are they talented enough to get back on track and give the Buckeyes a game this weekend?
Brown shares his answers to all of those questions and more in this week’s Across The Field.
Maryland has scored only 10 points in its last two games. What’s happened to the Terps’ offense?
Brown: The Maryland offense has become stagnant over the last few weeks for a few reasons. At the end of the game against Indiana, Tagovailoa went down, reinjured his sprained MCL and subsequently missed the game against Northwestern prior to the bye week. In that time, the Terps were juggling Tagovailoa's injury with a sprained ankle for backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., forcing the healthiest player to move forward. Tagovailoa was the healthiest coming out of the bye, but there has been a clear lack of trust in his blocking and health, pulling the ball down and looking to scramble even quicker than before. Pair all of that with Maryland trying to run its normal offense despite poor weather conditions and not making proper adjustments, you get an offense that is stuck.
Maryland has won only two games in the month of November since 2017. Why do you think the Terrapins have repeatedly struggled in the homestretch of the season?
Brown: The Terps' November struggles often correlate to their Big Ten conference schedule. Maryland has been scheduled to face three of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State or Penn State in the month of November each season during this stretch, leading to a combination of the toughest matchups on the schedule with the natural wear and tear of a football season. Prior to 2021, when the Terps generally were down as a program, the late-season scheduling also didn't provide much of a bounce-back opportunity as confidence plummeted.
What are the things Maryland has done best when it has been successful this season? Conversely, what have been the biggest shortcomings when it’s been unsuccessful?
Brown: When you looked at Maryland's roster construction and play style before the season, it would've been assumed that the offense would be airing it out and keeping the team in games based on skill and scheme alone. As the season progressed, we started to see the exact opposite. The young group of running backs took the early season games by storm and led to a more balanced offense, and the Terps' defense has been one of the best second-half units in the country.
With the skill across the board, Maryland has had a tendency to get stuck in its ways trying to spread the ball around and get players touches rather than stick with what is needed or should work to success. Despite the offense's struggles, the defense has kept up its end of the deal with second-half adjustments, holding opponents to just eight points per second half.
Who are the Maryland players Ohio State should circle on the scouting report?
Brown: This is another one of those seasons where the Maryland football roster looks stocked with players that have a chance to make it at the next level. Obvious names like quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, wide receivers Dontay Demus Jr., Rakim Jarrett and Jacob Copeland, offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan and some others stick out, but the differences will be made by more under-the-radar guys. Keep an eye out for running backs Roman Hemby and Antwain Littleton, tight ends CJ Dippre and Corey Dyches, linebacker Jaishawn Barham and safeties Beau Brade and Dante Trader Jr.
Roman Hemby ranks sixth in the Big Ten this season with 815 rushing yards. (Photo: Tommy Gilligan – USA TODAY Sports)
Maryland took Ohio State to overtime the last time these teams met in College Park in 2018, but the Buckeyes have won the last two meetings by 49+ points. Which outcome do you think is more likely this year: Maryland challenging for an upset, or a blowout win for Ohio State?
Brown: The 2018 Maryland team was one that struggled as a group for obvious reasons (coming off the Jordan McNair tragedy and having an interim coach) but had so much NFL talent. That team has spawned eight NFL players, including running back Anthony McFarland Jr. and tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, with a handful of underclassmen back then still waiting for that next step in Demus, Duncan and others. On paper, the 2022 Maryland roster construction should open the door for another one of those surprisingly close matchups, but with the recent struggles, team health and more, the paper comparison could be moot.
Last week we saw Maryland get “punched in the mouth” by Penn State and not respond, Locksley has said, but this week there has been a deeper look taken into coaching, personnel and other aspects that could help the team turn things back around. It could be a coin flip between a close game or a blowout, but I would say it ends up somewhere in between. If Ohio State gets a little cushion early, both teams could end up on cruise control and Maryland sneaks in a cover (+27.5) with a scoreline around 45-24.
