Ohio State Football: What We Learned Against Maryland

Nov 12, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) runs during the first quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) runs during the first quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ohio State had another impressive win in conference play. What was learned that will be beneficial moving forward?

So, apparently Ohio State did have another 62-3 game in them. Amid all of the chaos in the playoff picture from Clemson, Michigan, and Washington losing, it’s easy to forget that there are still key takeaways from Saturday’s win.

1. Fast Starts Matter

Stop if you’ve heard this in this same exact space before. While a slow start doomed the Buckeyes against Penn State and nearly got them a game against Northwestern and Wisconsin, head coach Urban Meyer’s emphasis on one game at a time has paid off.

Against Maryland, a lopsided first half ended the game before it really even started. The numbers don’t lie on this:

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Total Yards: Ohio State 363, Maryland 94

Rushing Yards: Ohio State 171, Maryland 5

Passing Yards: Ohio State 192. Maryland 89

First Downs: Ohio State 20, Maryland 5

Yards Per Play: Ohio State 8.2, Maryland 2.7

Score: Ohio State 45, Maryland 3

Maryland did manage a field goal on their second drive of the game. The other drives, though, only managed 3, 3, 6, 1, 3, 2, and 2 plays. That’s how you put your foot on the gas right away.

2. It’s The Defense That Will Decide The Big Ten

Lost perhaps in the fact that Ohio State has scored 126 points in two weeks is the fact that the Silver Bullets have only allowed six points over that same stretch. Even as the offense struggles early on, the defense was always playing as good as any unit in college football. With the potential path ahead, it’s that unit that will need to maintain such a level of play to keep playoff hopes alive.

Michigan has scored well all year long and if everything goes right, whoever emerges out of the Big Ten West will need to be dispatched with convincingly. Additionally, it’s far more difficult to leave a top five defense out of the playoffs if Penn State wins out. Thus, keeping the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten Championship.

Ohio State is fourth nationally in yards per game and tied for third in points per game. While it’s tough to score 62 points every game, defensive play tends to be far more consistent.

3. Maybe It’s Not The Number Of Touches For Curtis Samuel

When you score on a third of your touches, it was a good game. For all of the complaints about H-Back Curtis Samuel’s involvement in the offense, the issue probably hasn’t been the numbers of time he gets the ball.

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Instead, it’s the situation in which he gets the ball. He wasn’t the lead back, even with running back Mike Weber dinged up. That didn’t seem to hurt his productivity.

It’s becoming more and more clear that Curtis Samuel is the only receiver quarterback J.T. Barrett trust completely. By using Samuel as a home run threat, the quality of his touches are far better.

Why give him 15 carries for the sake of giving him more carries? What’s better for the offense, running Samuel on a typical power zone or as a change of pace misdirection that could lead to points?

Even his short touchdown run was the latter, where he was able to get out wide of the defense with ease. Let Weber move the pile (which he did for 93 yards by the way) and let Samuel take advantage of his spots. It’s better that way.

4. Fans And The Team Cannot Obsess Over The Playoffs

Think of it like this: Was Ohio State focused on the teams directly in front of them when they struggled early? Doubtful, as the Michigan game and other top ranked opponents loomed large on the schedule.

That cost the Buckeyes control of their own destiny against Penn State. With the way the Buckeyes are playing and the upheaval at the top of the rankings, it’s very easy to think of all of the ways Ohio State can still get in.

What if Penn State wins out? What if Ohio State gets jumped by another conference champ? What if what if what if.

You could go crazy looking at all of the hypotheticals for the next two weeks on how the Buckeyes can make the Big Ten title game or what needs to happen to make the playoffs. But you know what is on the top of that list right now? Beating Michigan State, the next opponent on the schedule.

This teamed has learned its lesson of looking ahead and missing the threat right in front of them. East Lansing, Michigan is not an easy place to play. As bad as Sparty has been this year, head coach Mike D’Antonio is one of the best coaches in the country.

Next: 3 Predictions For The Third Week Of The Playoff Rankings?

Are there Ohio State fans that don’t think he’ll get his players ready for a visit from Ohio State? If the focus is on what happens in the Playoff Committee room or what might happen in Indianapolis, Indiana then the Buckeyes will be in trouble in East Lansing. That’s where the focus should be.