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- Thread starter Dryden
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Football: Potential trap games for Ohio State
Maryland
No. 9 Penn State might jump off the page. So might No. 14 Michigan. No. 21 Michigan State even shows up as an opponent to highlight on the schedule for Ohio State.
But Maryland? Maryland just slips right through the cracks.
Don’t sleep on the Terrapins so soon though. They sit at 3-1, are tied for the third-best record in the Big Ten and have a win over a ranked opponent — 34-29 against now-No. 18 Texas.
The offense lives on its running game, with a trio of backs rushing the ball more than 25 times thus far. Senior Ty Johnson, redshirt freshman Anthony McFarland and sophomore Tayon Fleet-Davis have combined for 739 yards and seven touchdowns this season on the ground, with Johnson and McFarland each averaging more than seven yards per carry.
Maryland has also found its way through the air with redshirt freshman quarterback Kasim Hill. A four-star prospect according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Hill has been a serviceable quarterback in his first year under center, throwing for 516 yards and three touchdowns with only one interception.
For a Maryland offense that lives on the run game, Hill’s stats don’t jump off the page, but they allow for enough of a threat to open up the Terrapins’ run game, which could find more space with the lack of junior defensive end Nick Bosa.
It is too early to know if Bosa will be ready for a game in November, but even with him in the game, Ohio State allowed three runs of more than 70 yards, two of which were to an Oregon State team that is far from impressive.
The Buckeyes looked like a pass-first offense when redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins ignited against Tulane, while sophomore and redshirt junior running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber struggled to get much going.
Maryland offers more trouble in the run game, allowing only 104 yards per game on the ground, No. 19 in the nation.
Stats aside, because Ohio State is clearly the better team on paper, Maryland offers the Buckeyes the toughest placement on their schedule.
Ohio State travels to College Park on Nov. 17, the second-to-last week of the regular season, in between a road matchup against Michigan State and home game against the Wolverines.
The back-to-back road game is the ultimate trap-game trope, and it is the same one Ohio State fell to last year in its brutal defeat to Iowa that cost the team a shot at the College Football Playoff.
Michigan State is a large enough opponent to give the Buckeyes a difficult matchup, leaving them vulnerable against the Terrapins a week later. More importantly, the Michigan game the week after takes a lot of attention away from a Maryland game many will see as a pushover before the huge rivalry matchup.
The Terrapins have proven their ability to upset strong teams just four games into the season, and have proven to be strong running the ball and strong defending the run.
Maryland offers the hardest road game on the schedule strictly by being the game before Michigan and after Michigan State. But it helps that the Terrapins might actually have some weapons to make Ohio State’s in-between game that much harder.
Entire article: https://www.thelantern.com/2018/09/football-potential-trap-games-for-ohio-state/
Maryland
No. 9 Penn State might jump off the page. So might No. 14 Michigan. No. 21 Michigan State even shows up as an opponent to highlight on the schedule for Ohio State.
But Maryland? Maryland just slips right through the cracks.
Don’t sleep on the Terrapins so soon though. They sit at 3-1, are tied for the third-best record in the Big Ten and have a win over a ranked opponent — 34-29 against now-No. 18 Texas.
The offense lives on its running game, with a trio of backs rushing the ball more than 25 times thus far. Senior Ty Johnson, redshirt freshman Anthony McFarland and sophomore Tayon Fleet-Davis have combined for 739 yards and seven touchdowns this season on the ground, with Johnson and McFarland each averaging more than seven yards per carry.
Maryland has also found its way through the air with redshirt freshman quarterback Kasim Hill. A four-star prospect according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Hill has been a serviceable quarterback in his first year under center, throwing for 516 yards and three touchdowns with only one interception.
For a Maryland offense that lives on the run game, Hill’s stats don’t jump off the page, but they allow for enough of a threat to open up the Terrapins’ run game, which could find more space with the lack of junior defensive end Nick Bosa.
It is too early to know if Bosa will be ready for a game in November, but even with him in the game, Ohio State allowed three runs of more than 70 yards, two of which were to an Oregon State team that is far from impressive.
The Buckeyes looked like a pass-first offense when redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins ignited against Tulane, while sophomore and redshirt junior running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber struggled to get much going.
Maryland offers more trouble in the run game, allowing only 104 yards per game on the ground, No. 19 in the nation.
Stats aside, because Ohio State is clearly the better team on paper, Maryland offers the Buckeyes the toughest placement on their schedule.
Ohio State travels to College Park on Nov. 17, the second-to-last week of the regular season, in between a road matchup against Michigan State and home game against the Wolverines.
The back-to-back road game is the ultimate trap-game trope, and it is the same one Ohio State fell to last year in its brutal defeat to Iowa that cost the team a shot at the College Football Playoff.
Michigan State is a large enough opponent to give the Buckeyes a difficult matchup, leaving them vulnerable against the Terrapins a week later. More importantly, the Michigan game the week after takes a lot of attention away from a Maryland game many will see as a pushover before the huge rivalry matchup.
The Terrapins have proven their ability to upset strong teams just four games into the season, and have proven to be strong running the ball and strong defending the run.
Maryland offers the hardest road game on the schedule strictly by being the game before Michigan and after Michigan State. But it helps that the Terrapins might actually have some weapons to make Ohio State’s in-between game that much harder.
Entire article: https://www.thelantern.com/2018/09/football-potential-trap-games-for-ohio-state/
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Thinking of making the trip down I95 with little Jax and giving the team 2 more fans rooting for them on the road.
Anyone going to be there?
Anyone going to be there?
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Thanks to us getting Boilermaker'd and this 'Revenge Tour' going on, this is no longer a concern.
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It's this years version of their September Heisman
It will look ridiculous once all the games are played.
Wisky and Sparty are god awful. There was no revenge tour stop in South Bend and there will be none in Columbus.
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I always thought Lewan held the record for douchiness, but now I think Bitchovich has him beat.
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Big After Brunch four straight weeks! It’s like they almost felt bad for giving Ohio State primetime games for every other road game this season...
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
OHIO STATE OPENS AS 15-POINT FAVORITE OVER MARYLAND, QUICKLY BECOMES 17-POINT FAVORITE
Enmtire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...er-maryland-quickly-becomes-17-point-favorite
Enmtire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...er-maryland-quickly-becomes-17-point-favorite
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