Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get his or her perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
Maryland
TERRAPINS
After an off week, No. 4 Ohio State will host undefeated but unranked Maryland as the Big Ten foes square off for a noon kickoff at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
To help break down the matchup, we're joined by Ahmed Ghafir of Inside The Black and Gold. Ghafir talks about the momentum behind the Terrapins' undefeated start, weighs whether this is Mike Locksley's best team at Maryland and discusses what makes Taulia Tagovailoa so successful.
Maryland is off to a terrific start on all cylinders, starting 5-0 and blowing out each opponent it’s faced. How much of the Terrapins’ hot start do you attribute to a relatively weak schedule and how much of it is improvement from the Maryland players/coaching staff?
Ahmed Ghafir: Part of it is the competition, but still, Maryland has already handily beaten three Power Five teams through five weeks. That still counts. My belief is if there’s any metric that’s most likely to be inflated, it’s likely turnover margin as Maryland sits second nationally behind Penn State.
Still, Maryland returned several key pieces this season like Taulia Tagovailoa and Jeshaun Jones, while the offseason portal haul helped fill several key holes to give confidence heading into the season. Gottlieb Ayedze and Corey Bullock are two local linemen who joined the program in January and have become starters along the offensive line, the biggest question mark this season, while Kaden Prather fills the Dontay Demus void as the big-bodied receiver.
It's hard to miss Donnell Brown, an FCS All-American, with his blazing speed off the edge and I’m very interested to see how he fares this weekend. Ja’Quan Sheppard will be a name Buckeye fans hear a lot as I expect him to match up against Marvin Harrison Jr. on Saturday.
Don’t overlook the staff though. Josh Gattis and Mike Locksley have a good offensive rapport to keep that in rhythm, but the head coaching experience that both Kevin Sumlin and Latrell Scott add to the staff adds another layer of expertise. Add it to the chemistry among the defensive staff under defensive coordinator Brian Williams, and Maryland has passed the eye test through the first five weeks.
Mike Locksley hasn’t shied away from any bold expectations this season, saying at Big Ten Media Days he thinks the Terrapins could win the conference. While the odds seem against that drastic of a turnaround right now, how likely do you think it is that this is Locksley’s best team he’s had in his Maryland tenure? To take it to another level, is this team equipped to play competitively against the daunting trio of Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan?
Ghafir: I’ve covered this program under Randy Edsall, DJ Durkin and the first five seasons of Mike Locksley’s tenure.
This is Maryland’s best team, and I’m not even sure it’s close.
Locksley’s also been quick to note that the expectations have been elevated to Big Ten championships, meaning that moving forward, the sight is no longer set on the expectation of achieving and winning a bowl game. Sure, as an Ohio State fan, that might not sound like much, but the gradual elevation in yearly expectations is all part of how Mike Locksley is rebuilding the program and from a macro perspective, is changing the narrative around the program.
Do I think Maryland can win the Big Ten this season? No, because that would require at least two wins against the daunting trio. Do I think Maryland can take down one of the daunting trio? Yes, and Taulia Tagovailoa leading the offense coupled by a strong front seven gives me confidence that Maryland has the pieces to pull off an upset.
Maryland has multiple weapons that can create big plays and a quarterback that can get them the ball. Earlier this season, much was made about Maryland’s slow starts before taking over, and while Maryland hasn’t seen an Ohio State-level team yet, the defense has shown the ability to make adjustments quickly to reclaim control. This team has the makings to be a disrupter in conference play.
Most questions about the Terrapins start with Taulia Tagovailoa. Where do you think he rates among Big Ten passers, what are his NFL prospects in your opinion and how have you seen him grow as he’s in the midst of his final year at Maryland?
Ghafir: I’d give Taulia Tagovailoa the edge over the field through the first few weeks as he enters week six as the Big Ten’s leader in passing yards (1,464), touchdowns (13) and total offense (306.4) while sitting third in completion percentage (65.7). His size remains one of the biggest drawbacks in terms of his NFL projections, while Tagovailoa gets criticized for his arm strength.
I think the Terps’ veteran will be able to quiet some of those critics this season as it hasn’t been the strength, but the timing of his deep balls to consistently capitalize on the big plays. He threw a pick-six on the opening play of the week two win against Charlotte, along with an ill-advised red zone interception against Michigan State, but he’s largely been efficient with the football and done well leaning on his mobility to extend plays. His mobility and decision-making will be tested in a hostile environment, plus how the protection fares.
Early returns on Maryland’s defense have been promising, especially with a turnover margin that ranks second in the country so far. Though, perhaps a portion of that is due to the Terps not facing an offense ranked higher than 105th nationally in total scoring offense. What do you make of the Terrapins’ defensive play this season and how do you think they’ll stack up against Ohio State?
Ghafir: The linebackers have been the key strength of Maryland’s defense. Whether ILB Jaishawn Barham returns this weekend remains to be seen, but he headlines a deep room that’s enjoyed frequent rotations to open the season. The biggest emphasis has been the defensive line being more disruptive in the trenches, though Tennessee transfer Jordan Phillips has been the cog inside with D2 transfer Tre Colbert right behind him. The starting safety tandem in Beau Brade and Dante Trader is back for year two, though it’s a bit of a concern they’ve routinely finished 1-2 in tackles.
Maryland has passed the eye test against its opponents to date. No, they haven’t seen an offense like Ohio State’s yet and how Ja’Quan Sheppard and Tarheeb Still fare against Marvin Harrison and Emeka Egbuka will be the key to this game. Donnell Brown and Kellan Wyatt are two key pieces that Maryland will lean on to disrupt McCord in the pocket, while a nickel blitz likely from hard-hitting defensive back Glen Miller should be on Saturday’s bingo card.
Other than Taulia, who are some players to watch on both sides of the ball for Maryland ahead of the OSU matchup?
Ghafir: You nailed it — it’s hard to talk about Maryland’s offense without mentioning Taulia Tagovailoa. As Mike Locksley said following the Indiana win, Maryland goes as far as he goes.
He’ll have Jeshaun Jones, Tai Felton, Kaden Prather, Octavian Smith and Tyrese Chambers as his primary receivers with Antwain Littleton and Roman Hemby looking to pick the running game up. Corey Dyches has been the man at tight end and is dynamic in space, but don’t sleep on Preston Howard and Rico Walker in the two-tight end sets as both have been able to make plays in the rotation.
On the defensive side, I hit on cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Ja’Quan Sheppard while Glen Miller is a key piece both as Beau Brade’s backup at safety, along with the starting nickel role. Jaishawn Barham, Ruben Hyppolite, Fa’Najae Gotay, Gereme Spraggins and Caleb Wheatland will likely hear their names called as guys around the ball while Kellan Wyatt and Donnell Brown will be tasked with making Kyle McCord’s day difficult.
Though there’s been a few close calls, Maryland has never beaten Ohio State in the schools’ eight meetings against each other all-time. How do you envision Saturday’s matchup going and give us a score prediction if you have one.
Ghafir: 38-20, Ohio State.
Last year’s close call and Ohio State coming off a bye gives me pause. I do expect Ohio State to be laser-focused on Saturday afternoon, and as a program that frequently recruits the DMV hard, I don’t expect them to let up regardless. But I also don’t think this is the same Maryland team that Buckeye fans have watched in The Shoe in years past. Maryland has firepower in their starting cornerback tandem with several underclassmen behind them, but is that depth going to be enough to limit Ohio State’s receivers? I expect McCord to connect on a few deep shots and big plays through the air, something Maryland hasn’t seen a ton of.
Maryland’s offense against the Buckeyes’ defense, though, is what I’m looking forward to. Yes, Maryland has the weapons and swagger to move the ball downfield through the air while turning to five or six different options. That’s not what fans should watch.
Maryland’s offensive line has been heavily under the microscope this offseason. After allowing a Big Ten-high 43 sacks last season, Maryland lost two offensive linemen to the portal and three to the NFL. Yet through five weeks, they’ve allowed just three sacks. Ohio State, however, enters the matchup with only five sacks through four games. So, what gives? Can Ohio State get to Taulia inside or out of the pocket? And if not, can Taulia record his third 300-yard passing game of the season?
Establishing the run on the road will also be key, a trait that’s been inconsistent over the last two weeks.
