The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) look to continue their unbeaten streak as they play the Maryland Terrapins (2-3). The nation’s fourth-leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliott (729 yards, 8 TDs), will be key to the outcome of this contest. It starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 10 and will air on BTN and BTN2.
Ohio State beat Indiana 34-27 last week. Ezekiel Elliott had a big game on the ground in the win, gaining 274 yards and three TDs on 23 carries. Michael Thomas finished with 54 receiving yards and a TD on four receptions. Maryland didn’t have the same success as Ohio State, losing big to Michigan 28-0. Levern Jacobs had a solid outing for the Terrapins, totaling three receptions for 20 yards.
Ohio State is a considerable 28-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable.
Despite a 5-0 Straight Up (SU) record this season, the Buckeyes have not fared well Against The Spread (ATS) with a 1-4 record. The Buckeyes have America’s 16th-ranked running attack with 239.8 yards per game. Turning to the Buckeyes defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. The Terrapins could have a difficult time throwing the ball against the 11th-best pass defense in the nation. The Buckeyes give up 150.4 yards per game through the air. Ohio State’s secondary should be ready to play against the Terrapins, who rank 128th in the nation with three interceptions thrown per game. Maryland might put Ohio State away early because the Buckeyes are one of the top teams in scoring offense during the fourth quarter. So far this year, they’ve averaged 11.2 fourth-quarter points.
On the other side, the Terrapins have a record of 2-3 for both ATS and SU. The Terrapins need to capitalize on bad throws and tipped balls against the Buckeyes, who rank 106th in the country in interceptions thrown with 1.4 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ohio State, ATS Winner – Ohio State
Notes
Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Ohio State’s last 23 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ohio State’s last 6 games.
Ohio State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Ohio State’s last 12 games at home.
Maryland is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Ohio State is 5-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Ohio State is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 16th-ranked rushing attack will face the 103rd-ranked run defense of Maryland, while its 39th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 84th-ranked rushing game of the Terrapins.
