The #20 Ohio State Buckeyes attacked the Maryland Terrapins by land and by air in the first half, staking themselves to a 31-10 lead with an impressive display of offensive firepower.
Our Buckeyes/Terrapins Halftime Quick Hitters
Ohio State would continue to roll thanks to a coming-out party for redshirt freshman QB JT Barrett in College Park. Barrett (18-of-23, 267 passing yards, 4 TD, 16 rushes, 71 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD) accounted for the vast majority of OSU's offense, leading the #20 team in the nation to an eye-opening 52-24 win over the Terps.
Turning Point: You can argue that it happened before this, but Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee's interception of Maryland QB CJ Brown at the end of the first half deflated the Terps and helped extend Ohio State's lead to 31-10. Maryland was officially out of the game at that moment, and the Buckeyes' continued dominance in the second half would only serve to cement that fact.
Ohio State MVP: JT Barrett finds himself under the microscope in the wake of Braxton Miller's season-ending injury. On this day in College Park, everyone around the Buckeyes had to like what they saw - a calm, cool, collected Barrett exploiting the Maryland defense at every turn. Miller's back in 2015, but 2016 and 2017 might very well belong to Barrett.
Kudos also go to RB Ezekiel Barrett who rushed 24 times for 139 yards, continuously baffling Maryland's front seven.
Maryland MVP: RB Jaquille Veii (4 catches, 78 receiving yards, 1 rush, 11 rushing yards) had the Terps' biggest play from scrimmage (an electric 60-yard catch and run), but it was junior WR Stefon Diggs (seven catches, 52 yards, 1 TD) who once again proved himself to be one of Maryland's most reliable weapons - despite their struggles in the passing game (four interceptions between QBs Caleb Rowe and CJ Brown).
What’s Next? Each team gets a well-deserved rest next week. Ohio State (4-1 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) welcomes Rutgers into the The Horseshoe on October 18th at 3:30pm EST. Maryland (4-2 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) will also resume their schedule on the 18th, looking to bounce back against the Iowa Hawkeyes in College Park.
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