A 29-Point Win With Plenty to Fix

Ohio State beat Maryland by 29 points Saturday afternoon, rolled up 449 yards of offense and held the Terrapins to 146.

But the Buckeyes still managed to leave Ryan Day with plenty to complain about.

No. 5 Ohio State overcame eight penalties, two turnovers, shaky pass protection and a handful of other mistakes to beat Maryland 45-16 on a rainy homecoming afternoon at The Shoe. The Buckeyes were also playing without receivers Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin, offensive linemen Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, and linebacker Christian Alliegro.

Against Maryland, Ohio State was talented enough to get away with its mistakes, but that won't always be the case.

The Buckeyes struck quickly after a slow start. Phillip Bell returned a punt 31-yards to the Maryland 36-yard line. Two plays later, Julian Sayin found Jeremiah Smith, who turned on the jets for a 33-yard touchdown, the 37th of his Ohio State career.

Sayin later hit tight end Nate Roberts for a 68-yard touchdown and Ohio State led 14-3, but some warts were showing. Sayin was sacked and lost a fumble that resulted in a Maryland field goal, while a roughing-the-passer penalty against Bo Atkinson allowed the Terrapins to keep the ball instead of punt.

After that, Ohio State committed two more defensive penalties, helping Maryland steadily march into the Buckeyes’ end zone, making the score 14-10.

Maryland needed plenty of help to score, and the Buckeyes provided it.

OSU used its talent to rebound. Sayin hit Smith on a swing pass that turned into a 40-yard touchdown, giving Smith 38 career touchdown receptions, one short of Braylon Edwards' Big Ten record of 39. Yes, that record currently belongs to a guy from Connor Stalions University.

Currently.

Ohio State appeared to score again when Sayin found Bo Jackson in the end zone, but a Carson Hinzman holding penalty wiped it away and forced the Buckeyes to settle for a Connor Hawkins field goal.

By halftime, Ohio State led 31-10 and had outgained Maryland 282-87. Sayin had thrown four touchdown passes, Smith had scored twice, and the outcome was pretty much decided.

But Ohio State also had seven penalties for 50 yards in the first half.

Problems followed the Buckeyes into the second half. Sayin nearly threw an interception while trying to force the ball to a triple-covered Smith, then was sacked and fumbled again, although he recovered that one. With Siereveld and Daniels already unavailable, Luke Montgomery also briefly left the game before returning.

Then came another ugly mistake.

Pressure reached Sayin again. Terps linebacker Daniel Wingate intercepted his pass and returned it for a touchdown. Suddenly, a Maryland team that finished the game with only 146 yards had scored 16 points, six of them without its offense being on the field.

But Ohio State responded again.

Bo Jackson broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown behind Jake Cook, the offensive lineman who decided being a fullback looks like fun, and the Buckeyes later put together a 16-play, 72-yard drive that swallowed nearly 10 minutes. Jackson finished it with his second touchdown.

The Jackson Two carried much of the load as Day continues to focus on strengthening the running game. Bo Jackson rushed 23 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns, while Ja'Kobi Jackson added 76 yards on 14 carries. Smith caught only four passes, which is a quiet afternoon for him, but those catches produced 93 yards and two touchdowns.

Sayin finished 13 of 21 for 242 yards and four touchdowns, but the interception, two fumbles and pressure he faced will provide plenty for Ohio State to work on this week.

So will the eight penalties for 65 yards.

There is an easy temptation after a 45-16 victory to look at the scoreboard, shrug and move on, but Ohio State can't afford to do that.

Neither should we.

All of us have areas where we can get away with being less than our best for a while. But getting away with something doesn't mean it isn't a problem.

The best version of Ohio State isn't a team that commits eight penalties, turns the ball over twice and asks its talent to overcome mistakes. The best version cleans those things up before they become the reason it loses.

That's true for the rest of us, too.

The Buckeyes have seven days to work out imperfections before traveling to Bloomington to face the defending national champion, #7 Indiana, who survived a scare earlier this afternoon against Nebraska.

Ohio State was good enough to make mistakes and beat Maryland by 29.

Next week, good enough might not be good enough.

O – H!