COLUMBUS — Every Friday we’ll bring you a quick-hit look at the game ahead for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Maryland at Ohio State
Kickoff: 4:15 PM
Network: BTN
Announcers: Mark Followill, Jake Butt, Brooke Fletcher
History: Ohio State leads the all-time series 9-0. The only one-score game was the 52-51 win at Maryland in 2018. The average score of the nine games is 55-22.
Info: Ohio State games notes & Maryland game notes
Game trailer
Buckeye I’ll be watching Saturday
RT Austin Siereveld: This will be the fourth straight game the veteran starts at tackle after starting the first two games at right guard. Overall for the season, he’s played 213 snaps at right tackle and 90 at right guard. He moved between positions in both of the first two games, and I don’t think he played his best ball in Weeks 3 and 4 in his initial starts at right tackle. A second-team All-Big Ten choice at left tackle last year, Siereveld should get a good test from Maryland edge rushers Sidney Stewart and Zion Elee, and I’m thinking we might get another dominant version of a comfortable Siereveld after a strong game against Iowa.
“Obviously you get in a rhythm if you’re at one spot,” Siereveld said this week when I asked about settling in to one position again. “It is tough. Two years ago I was going right and left but I was playing guard. I would say it’s a lot harder going from playing tackle and guard and switching rather than left and right.”
In 2024, he moved more often, playing 307 snaps at left guard and 188 snaps at right guard. When he was settled at left tackle in 2025, he was among the best linemen in the conference. Settling at right tackle now (sorry, Phillip Daniels, this might be the way forward) can allow that to happen again.
“Every week I feel like I’m getting better,” Siereveld said. “I keep gaining more confidence in myself.” — Doug
WR Brock Boyd: It's time to get Boyd in the end zone. A game against a banged-up Maryland secondary with some other Ohio State receivers potentially on the shelf seems like a prime opportunity to reward Boyd for all of the blocking he's been doing. You could put Chris Henry Jr. in the same boat, but Henry has already scored twice this year. Block Boyd needs his moment, something to build on as he continues to be an important of the offense. — Bill
One thing I want Ohio State to do Saturday
Try more field goals. Connor Hawkins was 3 of 4 on field goal attempts against Texas, missing the 45-yarder that could have put the game away. Since then, he’s tried just three field goals in three games, making two and hitting the left upright on a 40-yarder against Iowa last week. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are 7 of 11 on third-down conversions. Those 11 attempts are the fourth-most in the Big Ten. Ryan Day isn’t happy with the special teams, Hawkins included. Hawkins is going to have to make some field goals that matter against good teams. Give him as many game reps as possible against Maryland, even if that means making a choice to kick on fourth down when in a game that mattered the Buckeyes might go for it. The dude has to take a shot at gaining some confidence. — Doug
Be more effective with its blitz packages. Matt Patricia is dialing some stuff up, but it's not always getting home. So far, the Buckeyes have lived to tell about that. Against better offensive teams with better quarterbacks, I'm a little worried that blitzing with no payoff is going to leave the defense susceptible to giving up big plays. So let's some of these pressures get timed up a little better against Maryland. — Bill
Another game to watch with Ohio State in mind
Indiana at Nebraska, noon, Fox: Ohio State has to play both of these teams on the road this year. We know Indiana is good, but has there been a step back? I think Nebraska is improved this season, but how improved? We'll get some answers starting at noon on Saturday. — Bill
Stat to know
Maryland’s game notes are filled with stats about how much Terps sophomore QB Malik Washington throws the ball. Washington is sixth in most completions by a Big Ten quarterback through 17 games of his career (since 2008), a stat in which former Buckeye C.J. Stroud ranks third.
He’s the second Maryland player in the last 30 years to have consecutive games of 350 yards of total offense. The only recent Big Ten player to put together more consecutive games of 350 yards of offense was Stroud in 2021 when he had five straight.
He’s averaging 24.8 completions per game, which ranks fifth nationally.
All of this is to say the Terps are eager to promote how much Washington chucks it around. (There’s nothing in there about Washington being one of four power conference QBs to throw at least six interceptions this season.) That means the OSU pass rush and secondary has a chance to get after it. — Doug
Band Plan
Lines
Ohio State -33.5
Over-under 56.5
Picks
Bill: Ohio State 49-14
Doug: Ohio State 48-13
On the season
Bill: 4-1 straight up, 3-2 spread, 2-3 over-under
Doug: 5-0 straight up, 2-3 spread, 2-3 over-under
Your vote
Ohio State will win by 34 points or more: 81 percent
Ohio State will win by 33 points or fewer: 19 percent
Combined score of 58 points or more: 61 percent
Combined score of 57 points or fewer: 39 percent
Tracking network and kickoff times for the season
Network
Fox: 2
BTN: 2
ABC: 1
CBS: 1
Announcers
Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt: 2
Jeff Levering, Jake Butt: 1
Mark Followill, Jake Butt: 1
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit: 1
Brad Nessler, Charles Davis: 1
Kickoff time
Noon: 2
12:30: 1
3:30: 1
4:15: 1
7:30: 1
Also
• It’s Homecoming for Ohio State, which has won 16 consecutive Homecoming games. The last loss was to Penn State in 2008.
• Jeremiah Smith has 15 games of 100 receiving yards or more. That’s currently tied with Marvin Harrison Jr. for the most in Ohio State history, which means there’s another record that could fall Saturday.
• This is Ryan Day’s 100th game as the head coach of the Buckeyes. He’s 86-13 in the first 99 games. Only five other OSU coaches got to 100 games. Here were their records in the first 100:
— Jim Tressel: 82-18
— Earle Bruce: 77-22-1
— Woody Hayes: 71-23-6
— John Cooper: 68-28-4
— John Wilce: 66-26-8
The ESPN breakdown of the game says that this will be Day’s 87th game (out of 100) with his team ranked in the top five (ironically, this is also likely to be his 87th win as HC). To be ranked top five 87% of your career is insane. There is so little that we can nitpick him about. All in all, Day is a great coach.