Ohio State's title-caliber talent runs into a Maryland team still trying to prove its offseason optimism is real, not just a press release.
Bush’s Picks
MDOSU
MDOSU
OverUnder
Best BetOhio State
Ohio State's roster talent gap over Maryland is one of the widest you'll find in the Big Ten this season, and Julian Sayin's experience plus Jeremiah Smith's ceiling make the Buckeyes the easy side to trust outright. Maryland's rebuild is real progress, not results yet, and a true road trip to Columbus is a brutal early test of that. Back Ohio State to win comfortably here.
Maryland
+Kept dynamic sophomore QB Malik Washington in the fold
+Added skill talent like transfer QB Cardell Williams
−Back-to-back 4-8 seasons, coach on the hot seat
−17-46 in Big Ten play under Locksley
−27th-ranked roster experience nationally
Ohio State
+Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver in college football
+Julian Sayin returns with a full year of starts
+Experienced offensive line and title-level talent depth
−Lost Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese and multiple NFL picks on defense
−New safety trio still unproven heading into fall
−Brutal 2026 schedule opens with Texas in Week 2
This one is about trajectory as much as talent. Ohio State enters the year with national championship expectations again, while Maryland is trying to convince a restless fan base that Mike Locksley's Year 8 actually looks different from the two 4-8 seasons before it. Malik Washington gives the Terps a real building block at QB after a strong true freshman season, and College Park spent the offseason making sure he stayed put. But stopping Jeremiah Smith and company is an entirely different problem than developing one.
Washington's game should take a leap in Year 2, especially with new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett installing a tempo-and-RPO scheme built to get him moving. The bigger swing factor for Maryland is whether that offensive identity shift translates to points against a Big Ten schedule that hasn't been kind to Locksley — he's just 17-46 in conference play across his tenure. Ohio State, meanwhile, is breaking in a defense that lost Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese and multiple NFL draft picks up front, which is the one crack in the Buckeyes' armor this fall.
Show fees
11:00 PM CT
Spread
ML
Total
MD Maryland
OSU Ohio State
That defensive turnover is worth watching closely. Ohio State's staff is using a three-man rotation to try to replace Downs' do-everything impact at safety, and beat writers have flagged a genuine step-back risk given how much talent walked out the door. It's the kind of thing that shows up more against explosive, well-schemed offenses than against a Maryland attack still finding its footing — but it's real, and it's part of why this program's margin for error is smaller than last year's group.
Maryland Terrapins
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Ohio State Buckeyes
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Jeremiah Smith remains the sport's best wide receiver, and Julian Sayin comes back as an experienced returning starter off a 32-touchdown, eight-interception sophomore campaign — that combination alone puts a ceiling on how competitive this game can realistically stay. Maryland's counter has to come from its skill-position depth, including transfer addition Cardell Williams giving Washington another weapon, but replacing a 27th-ranked-experience roster's shortcomings against this level of talent is a tall order.
Maryland Terrapins
Oct 2?@ Nebraska—
Sep 25?vs UCLA—
Sep 19?vs Virginia Tech—
Sep 12?@ UConn—
Sep 5?vs Hampton—
Ohio State Buckeyes
Oct 2?@ Iowa—
Sep 25?vs Illinois—
Sep 19?vs Kent State—
Sep 12?@ Texas—
Sep 5?vs Ball State—
Recent form.
The stakes tilt heavily toward Columbus. Ohio State treats every October Big Ten game as a measuring stick for a program with a title-or-bust mandate, while for Maryland this is more about survival — building enough tape to keep the seat under Locksley from getting any hotter. Neither side is hiding what's on the line, and that contrast in stakes is as much a part of this matchup as anything on the depth chart.
