Since its loss to Oklahoma in Week 2, Ohio State has rattled off three convincing wins, albeit against lesser competition.
Due to the blowouts, the questions surrounding the Buckeyes have switched more from scheme to personnel as Ohio State gets set to host Maryland on Saturday. The personnel questions concern both teams for this game, as the Terrapins roll into Columbus with their third-string quarterback leading the offense.
Let's get to your questions.
What's the scoop on Max Bortenschlager? Does Maryland have a potential superstar that's been hiding out on the bench who can cramp our defense's style, or was his success against Minnesota due to the competition on the other side of the ball? - Cheezeball73
Any time you play a quarterback who has little to no film to go off of, he can be difficult to prepare for, and I think that is what you saw against Minnesota. There is no denying Bortenschlager has some talent, but there is a reason he is the Terps' third-string quarterback. Maryland's top two signal callers were very mobile and while Bortenschlager isn't exactly running in concrete, he doesn't have the wheels that Tyrrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill have.
The fact that he is more of a pocket passer plays into Ohio State's strengths, especially with its defensive line. I think Bortenschlager will make some plays with his arm, especially to wide receiver DJ Moore, but it won't be enough to put a scare into the Buckeyes in terms of the final score.
What kind of a threat does the Terps defense pose towards our new and improved offense? - Seattle Linga
The strength of Maryland's defense is without question its linebackers. Jermaine Carter, Jr. and Shane Cockerille are both excellent athletes at the second level who will make plenty of tackles in this game. Carter especially is also a threat to blitz, and since Maryland is without its top pass-rusher in Jesse Aniebonam, I expect him to do plenty of that.
If Ohio State can pass protect well, its offense should have no problem continuing what has been an impressive bounce-back effort since the Oklahoma loss. I don't believe Maryland's secondary will be able to keep up in man-to-man coverage with the Buckeyes, so we will probably see them play zone, which should result in more run-pass option plays from Ohio State's offense.
Will DJ Durkin end up being a recruiting thorn in Urban Meyer's side, and do you think Maryland can get to a respectable level under him? - RK84
To answer your first question, Durkin is a good recruiter and Maryland's facilities are much improved, but Urban Meyer is still going to get the kids he wants in the Maryland area. It helps that Larry Johnson is one of the most respected coaches in that area because of his time in that region as a high school coach.
I think Maryland's ceiling in the Big Ten East is third in the division, but no higher. The Terps could put together a nine-win season and pull an upset and maybe slide in ahead of Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan, but I don't think Maryland will ever be able to eclipse all three in one season. If Maryland finishes third a few times in the loaded Big Ten East, Durkin can probably bolt for a better job in a few years.
Will Dwayne Haskins continue to be the first QB off the bench? - NHBuckeye
I have always been of the opinion that Haskins has the highest ceiling of any quarterback on Ohio State's roster in terms of NFL potential, and I think his rocket arm keeps him as the Buckeyes' No. 2 quarterback for the remainder of the season, barring injury.
That is not to say Joe Burrow is not talented, because he is. However, I really believe that Ohio State's starting quarterback job for the 2018 season is Haskins' to lose. If the coaches see it the same way, Haskins continues to be the QB2 this season so that he can get reps for next season.
How much blitzing should we expect from the silver bullet defense? With Maryland down to an inexperienced 3rd-string QB, will we see extra pressure to force mistakes/turnovers? - GlassCityBuckeyes
Ohio State linebackers have struggled in pass defense this season, and they aren't going to improve by blitzing on every down. I do think it's a good strategy to put pressure on an inexperienced quarterback, but I think the Buckeye defensive line is good enough to get plenty of pressure on its own. I think that defensive line alone will directly or indirectly create a few turnovers for the Ohio State defense.
Thoughts on the proposed two-back set? We seeing much of this vs. the Terps? - Hovenaut
I think the main concern for the Ohio State coaching staff when it comes to putting in the two-back set is wearing both backs down at once. We saw what happened to Mike Weber down the stretch last season. He looked visibly worn down as a freshman who had never played a full college season before. I think they are being cautious with a two-back set, because they will need both as the meat of the Big Ten season rolls around.
That said, I think the two-back set with Dobbins and Weber would be lethal, if run the right way. Showing a triple option look out of the spread alone would be a package worth experimenting with, but I don't know that Ohio State will even consider showing that look until the Penn State contest. I do think we see it at some point this season, but not this week.
Going forward, will the running game set up the passing game or will the passing game set up the running game? - Osu_killernuts
For this Ohio State team, the run game has to set up the passing game. That hasn't been the case the last few weeks, because the Buckeyes have made a point to work on their passing game, and rightfully so. However, Maryland is a good enough team where they won't have the luxury of working out the kinks. The Buckeyes have to run the ball consistently to set up the play action pass, and I think we will see a steady diet of Dobbins early, especially since he should be well-rested after getting just six carries a week ago.
On paper, the Buckeyes give up more yards on the ground and points per game than UCF and Minnesota (ignoring Texas and Towson). Can the Terp running game do any real damage? - GOOMBAY
Ty Johnson is the real deal and the Maryland running game can absolutely do damage to Ohio State's defense. However, the Terps are going to have to hit a few passes to open up running lanes for Johnson, and I am not sure they can do that consistently enough to win. I think Johnson is one of the best running backs in the Big Ten, but I don't think he is good enough to take over the game.
Aside from Dobbins, who is having the best year among the freshmen in your opinion? - Aphilly02
There isn't a lot of tape to go off of yet, but I think Baron Browning has a lot of momentum this season. With Chris Worley still banged up, Browning has been Ohio State's choice at middle linebacker in passing situations and he has played well. The simple fact he is getting the time he is makes me believe he could pass Tuf Borland on the depth chart at some point this season because of his ability to play the pass. Borland has been solid in relief of Worley, but has visibly struggled at times in pass coverage. I think Browning has a high ceiling and could be up for some bigger minutes this season if Worley can't get healthy.
Run DMC (Demario McCall) possibly getting more time returning punts and getting some touches as H-Back? - Jonbucks1
I have said since spring ball that Demario McCall, when healthy, is Ohio State's best option at H-back and I am sticking to that. He doesn't have the straight-line speed that Campbell does, but he has better hands in the passing game and I think he has better vision in the run game.
As he continues to get healthy, I think we see more of him on special teams, but I am not sure the coaches are ready to put him in over Campbell at H-back and Ohio State has two very solid running backs, so it's going to be hard for him to crack the lineup offensively, at least with the first team.
Will the Buckeyes beat the spread in this game? - OSU56
I don't think they will. I think Ohio State wins convincingly, but 30+ points seems like a bit much. The Terrapins have some talent and I think they keep this one close for at least the first half. I have the Buckeyes winning, 41-17.
