Maryland's Randy Edsall didn't mince words when asked about the next game on his team's schedule this week.
"We've got our work cut out for us," the Terrapin head coach said Tuesday on the Big Ten Teleconference.
He's not wrong, considering the way Maryland's performed in its last two games, scoring just six points and getting shut out at home by Michigan, 28-0, last weekend. Saturday, the Terrapins visit Ohio Stadium and unbeaten Ohio State.
"I see a team that's undefeated and I think that in this day and age it’s hard to be undefeated," Edsall said about the Buckeyes. "I see an outstanding team that is a team with a lot of talent and a team that is undefeated. That's the bottom line."
Unless Edsall somehow orchestrates an upset of the top-ranked Buckeyes, he might not even survive Maryland's bye week as its head coach.
Ohio State narrowly escaped previously unbeaten Indiana six days ago, holding on for a 34-27 victory in which its offense turned the ball over three times and the team committed eight penalties for 109 yards. The Buckeyes also struggled in the red zone, scoring only six points on five trips inside the Indiana 20. Ohio State's only scored points on six of its 16 red zone visits this season.
"Two areas of strength in the past are not strengths right now. We're hitting that really, really hard, and that's turnovers and that's red zone production," Urban Meyer said Monday. "You're getting 500-plus-yard days and that's not transitioning to what should happen in a game like that."
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| MARYLAND TERRAPINS |
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2-3, 0–1 B1G ROSTER SCHEDULE |
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12:00 PM – SATURDAY, OCT. 10 OHIO STADIUM COLUMBUS, OH |
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BIG TEN NETWORK BTN2GO |
Ohio State tallied 517 total yards against the Hoosiers but needed a last second pass denial in the end zone to leave Bloomington victorious.
The turnovers, penalties and missed assignments are fixable and lead Meyer to believe Ohio State's on the cusp of putting it all together and exhibiting the complete, dominant performance everyone expects it to.
"(I see) improvement and very efficient when you have the penalties and turnovers, that does — that's stops efficiency," Meyer said. "So I think we're on the border of being very good."
That could spell bad news for Maryland, who after a promising first year in the Big Ten that included four conference wins, looks out of sorts in just about all areas early in 2015.
"You have to stay positive and with the right frame of mind. It’s the old saying, ‘you just keep sawing wood,'" Edsall said Tuesday at his weekly press conference, according to the team's website. "You keep going, stay positive, compete in every play and sooner or later you’re going to come out of it. We’ll get it straightened out and we’ll all be better for it."
Opponent Breakdown
To be blunt, Maryland's offense is a mess.
The Terrapins totaled a meager 105 total yards and seven first downs against then-No. 22 Michigan in their conference home opener last weekend. Maryland rushed for 29 yards against the Wolverines after averaging 196 in its first four games.
The game was scheduled as an 8 p.m. kickoff, but had to be moved to noon due to the imminent threat of Hurricane Joaquin on the East Coast. It was cold, wet and rainy the entire game, but Michigan's defense essentially did whatever it wanted against Edsall's crew.
"First off, Michigan is a very good football team and they have a great defense," said Maryland junior quarterback Caleb Rowe, who threw three interceptions. "They really didn't do anything we didn't practice. It's just a matter of execution."
Rowe was yanked by Edsall in favor of senior Daxx Garman, who went 2-for-9 for 29 yards in relief. All together, Maryland's quarterbacks are 73-of-161 (45.3 percent) for 849 yards, nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2015. The paltry statistics and uncertainty at the position have Edsall scrambling, and he said Tuesday he doesn't plan to name a starter for the Ohio State game until kickoff.
"We'll know that when we take the field on Saturday," Edsall said.
Junior Perry Hills won the starting job out of camp, but lost it to Rowe early. Rowe is 40-for-91 this season for 428 yards, four touchdowns and 12 interceptions, the reason Garman got his shot last weekend. Maryland's 247Sports writer Josh Stirn said all signs point to Hills getting the nod Saturday against Ohio State, though, because he's been better at taking care of the ball.
The Terrapins average 332.4 yards of offense through five games, second-lowest in the Big Ten. Only Penn State (329.2 yards per game) is worse. It doesn't get much better defensively for one of the two schools part of the conference's most recent expansion, either. Maryland ranks second-worst among the Big Ten's 14 teams in total defense (449.4 yards per game allowed), worst in rushing defense (199.8), 11th in passing defense (249.6) and 12th in scoring defense (31.8 points per game allowed).
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| 2015 STATS | RANK | CATEGORY | 2015 STATS | RANK |
| 34.4 | 41st | Points For | 23.6 | 99th |
| 15.2 | 14th | Points Against | 31.8 | 95th |
| OFFENSE | ||||
| 239.6 | 16th | Rushing Offense | 162.6 | 84th |
| 212.6 | 78th | Passing Offense | 169.8 | 103rd |
| 452.2 | 33rd | Total Offense | 332.4 | 114th |
| DEFENSE | ||||
| 132.6 | 39th | Rushing Defense | 199.8 | 102nd |
| 150.4 | 11th | Pass Defense | 249.6 | 93rd |
| 283.0 | 14th | Total Defense | 449.4 | 109th |
| OFF. MISC. | ||||
| .348 | 103rd | 3rd Down Conv. | .324 | 112th |
| .750 | 108th | Red Zone | .818 | 76th |
| 12.0 | 38th | Punt Return | 24.0 | 4th |
| 24.8 | 30th | Kickoff Return | 22.3 | 52nd |
| DEF. MISC. | ||||
| .333 | 46th | 3rd Down Conv. | .383 | 75th |
| .818 | 60th | Red Zone | .818 | 60th |
| 92.5 | 9th | Pass Eff. Def. | 134.1 | 94th |
| 41.9 | 10th | Net Punting | 35.1 | 100th |
| MISC. | ||||
| - 0.8 | 101st | Turnover Margin | - 1.8 | 121st |
| 8.0 | 104th | Penalties Per Game | 7.6 | 93rd |
| Total: 15 | THE EDGE | Total: 4 |
"I think what’s happened is we just haven’t played consistently enough," Edsall said. "The last two ballgames, we only generated six points and we had mistakes. Turnovers are hurting us offensively and can’t get into any rhythm, which makes it hard."
Maryland's 17 turnovers through five games is the second worst total among the 128 Division I FBS teams, trailing only Charlotte (21).
A positive for the Terrapins is junior defensive back Will Likely. His two punt returns for a touchdown are the most in the country.
"I see the best punt returner in America, a guy that we have to get on the ground," Meyer said of Likely Wednesday. "We played them before, our guys know most of these guys."
Ohio State is familiar with the bulk of Maryland's roster, Meyer said, because it is aware who the Terrapins recruit. The lone previous matchup between the two teams happened last year, when Ohio State romped, 52-24, behind five total touchdowns by J.T. Barrett.
"We will get Maryland's best shot. It's the way it is," Meyer said. "We expect it, we embrace that. We're bracing for it. Our players are smarter than we are. They know what's coming."
The Terrapins kept it close against Michigan for a half last weekend, before Rowe began turning the ball over and putting his defense in tough spots in the final 30 minutes. The numbers look bad in just about all facets, but Meyer said he doesn't want his team to take them lightly.
"They were 6-0 against our rivals at halftime and they were playing really hard," Meyer said. "I see exceptional athletes at the offensive skill position and exceptional athletes on defense."
Edsall, though, is fully aware of the challenge that lies ahead for his players.
"[Ohio State is] a team that has won 18 in a row, 25 in a row in the Big Ten Conference," Edsall said. "They’ve done it to just about everybody, not only nationally, but also in our conference. You get an opportunity to go out there and play your best. We’ll prepare well this week for this tremendous challenge but it’s also a great opportunity as well."
Ohio State Breakdown
As written and discussed at length here and elsewhere this week, Ohio State feels like it is very close to putting all the silly errors and mental mistakes behind it and breaking out in a huge way. Saturday provides another opportunity to take a step forward at home and against a lesser talented team.
"We're rocking a little bit, we're teetering," Meyer said. "We need something, someone somehow to push us over, break the rock as I keep telling them. How do you break it?"
Ohio State's big day offensively against the Hoosiers was marred by turnovers and penalties. Quarterback Cardale Jones performed well in the first half, tallying 200 yards passing, but did miss some throws that would have resulted in touchdowns. Running back Ezekiel Elliott had a monster second half and finished with a career-high 274 yards (tied for second most in a game in Ohio State history), a large reason the play calling went away from the passing game in the second half.
Jones — and Ohio State as a whole — faced plenty of backlash on social media following the game. Meyer, though, isn't amused.
Ohio State rode the Elliott horse at Indiana.
"So whatever criticism is there ... I mean he's 8-0 as a starter," Meyer said. "We're trying to get him to 9-0 and do the best we can. Execution is not there. So you work at it."
The Buckeyes are also dealing with a sudden rash of injuries on top of the rumblings outside the program from concerned fans. Corey Smith is out for the season after suffering a similar leg injury that Noah Brown endured in fall camp. Meyer announced Wednesday that defensive back Cam Burrows (foot) and freshman linebacker Nick Conner (knee) are also done for the year.
"Those are structural. You can't stop that," Meyer said. "That's just the bad part of the game."
For a team that's supposedly close to putting all the pieces together, it must push past the injury setbacks to do so Saturday against Maryland.
How It Plays Out
Maryland will all but have to play a perfect game to pull off an upset in Ohio Stadium.
The Terrapins are reeling on offense. Though Ohio State's defense gave up a 79-yard touchdown run to Zander Diamont last weekend, it played well all things considered on the other 90 plays it was on the field.
Ohio State's offense found something in the second half with a zone blocking scheme and power running of Elliott. His breakaway runs were missing from the offense after the season opener at Virginia Tech, but there's a good chance more could be coming Saturday.
Ohio State is more talented, better coached and deeper than Maryland. The Buckeyes haven't covered since the opener at Virginia Tech, but Saturday's 33-point spread looks in reach.
ELEVEN WARRIORS STAFF PREDICTION: Ohio State 45, Maryland 10
