No 7 Ohio State (4-1) returns back to the Horseshoe on Saturday in Columbus for Homecoming against the Maryland Terrapins (4-1). With the Buckeyes having a bye week, the squad will be looking to perform well and prove that their difficult start to the season is over.

In recent history, Ohio State is 5-1 all-time against Maryland, besting the Terps by a combined score of 110-48. Everyone in Ohio will be watching the Ohio State Buckeyes vs Maryland Terrapins this weekend.

Ohio State v Rutgers Last Week

Ohio State came out strong last week with running back TreVeyon Henderson scoring on their second play with a 44 yard run. They continued to score with Chris Olave (2), Garrett Wilson, Jeremy Ruckert, and Mitch Rossi all scoring. The finished the first half up by 39 points.

Ohio State Offensive Weapons

With 555 yards per game this year, Ohio State is averaging more than 8 and a half yards per play, making it difficult for opposition teams to match.

Garrett Wilson, who averages 17.8 yards per reception, Chris Olave, who averages more than 16 yards per catch, and true freshman TreVeyon Henderson, who averages nearly 10 yards per run, are the major playmakers.

Quarterback CJ Stroud

CJ Stroud took the Akron game off while Kyle McCord came in and showed everyone how good he could be. But Stroud's return to play with a rested shoulder was as impressive and against tougher competition. Five touchdowns and 330 yards with a Freshman of the Week award was what he was able to earn.

Most impressive was his 14.3 yards per attempt, something most quarterbacks can't do against a defense as good as Rutgers.

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson

Olave has been a little quite of recent until the game last Saturday when he put up 119 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wilson has been more consistent and is leading the team with 462 yards total and 4 touchdowns.

With the kind of potential these two possess, don't be surprised if Olave sets a new record as the top receiver of the year.

Matt Barnes Calling the Defense

Matt Barnes began calling the defense a couple of weeks ago and the difference has been noticeable. He was an assistant at Maryland in 2018 so he has a lot of knowledge about the program coming to Ohio this week. A number of young players have stepped up and the team is not allowing rushing touchdowns while making interceptions every time out.

They have been taking it to the house and the defense gets the credit. Their big pass rushing lineman is Haskell Garrett who has 3 sacks on the season and is always looking for one more.

Ronnie Hickman and Denzel Burke

Ronnie Hickman blow up the Rutgers offense in his home state last weekend with 11 tackles, leading the team. Freshman Denzel Burke got his first interception and ran it back to buffer the Buckeyes lead to 14 points early in the game. With Ohio State losing defensive backs to the NFL every year, the club needs young players to step in and make an immediate impact.

Mike Locksley and Maryland

Maryland is off to a 4-1 start this season and was looking good against Iowa last week until the Hawkeyes scored 31 points in a row in the second quarter. Head Coach Mike Locksley is in his third season with the Terrapins and has had a difficult background with many defeats to overcome.

He is looking to Maryland to do what they did under Ralph Friedgen, win games, build momentum, and produce a bowl game.

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa

Taulia Tagovailoa was having a great season prior to the Iowa game and was considered for a nomination to Heisman Trophy. He is leading the Big Ten in completion percentage and has put up a number of 300 yards games. The Dontay Demus Jr. season ending knee injurie could limit his production going forward. They will look to Rakim Jarrett to take his place as the go-to receiver.

Maryland Pass Rush with Sam Okuayinonu and Durrell Nchami

Defensively, Maryland has the fourth best pass rush in the conference. They have tallied 14 sacks in five games. Sam Okuayinonu (5 sacks) and Darrell Nchami (3 sacks) are the lineman causing all the havoc for quarterbacks facing them.

How the Game will Go

Ohio State will have to perform well against their best competition in three weeks. The young defensive backs will be tested to see if they have improved since the Oregon game. CJ Stroud gets to show that his dominance is consistent and that he can play on only one week of rest. Overall the game should be controlled by the Buckeyes and a good margin of victory is expected. They are a 21 point favorite for this matchup.

2021 Ohio State Football: The Toughest (Maryland Trailer)