Maryland football vs. No. 5 Ohio State preview

Maryland football’s defense was expected to take a significant leap this season with a large crop of returning talent. The Terps, who navigated a lengthy list of injuries in 2025, had the depth around their defensive unit to pose problems in the Big Ten.

That’s been far from the case this season.

Maryland has conceded 137 points during its three-game skid, the program’s most since 2021. The Terps have allowed three consecutive unranked opponents to score at least 35 points, leaving them with a pair of blowout defeats.

But the blame can’t solely be placed on the defense — Maryland has committed seven turnovers, including three pick-sixes, over the last three games, resulting in 31 points. Saturday’s blocked punt also started Nebraska’s drive in the red zone and immediately resulted in a score. 

The Terps, who were penalized 12 times for 115 yards during their 48-23 loss, will need to erase those self-inflicted mistakes ahead of their toughest game on the schedule. Maryland travels to No. 5 Ohio State for its first of two ranked games this season. 

But most believe the Terps don’t stand a chance; FanDuel has them as 34.5-point underdogs. 

Saturday’s contest in Columbus, Ohio, begins at 4:15 p.m. and will air on Big Ten Network. 

2025 record: 12-2, 9-0 Big Ten

Ohio State is one of the premier programs in the country with national championship aspirations. The Buckeyes have made seven College Football Playoff appearances and hoisted the trophy twice — most recently running the table as the No. 8-seed to win the 2024 championship under head coach Ryan Day.

That postseason standard remained last season. Ohio State cruised through the regular season without a loss, winning by a 27-point average margin. But it fell to eventual national champion Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game and No. 10-seed Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals to end its year on a sour note.

The Buckeyes returned several standout performers and appear poised to contend for another title. Outside of its 24-23 collapse against No. 1 Texas — it blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead — Ohio State has flattened out its competition. Maryland will likely join that list Saturday.

Jeremiah Smith, junior wide receiver, No. 4 — Smith has been touted as a generational prospect since long before his arrival at Ohio State. The consensus top-ranked class of 2024 recruit has lived up to the billing. Smith produced 3,175 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns during his first two seasons, quickly proving to be unguardable.

He’s only taken his game to another level this season. The frontrunner for the Biletnikoff Award continues to dazzle with a nation-leading 44 catches, 823 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Smith has recorded 423 yards in two Big Ten games — single-handedly exceeding Maryland’s 396 passing yards during that stretch.

Julian Sayin, junior quarterback, No. 10 — The Sayin-to-Smith connection is arguably the most exciting tandem in college football. But Sayin has plenty of accomplishments of his own. He posted the third-highest completion percentage (77%) in FBS history last season, while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns to win the National Freshman of the Year award.

Sayin is fourth in the country this season with 306 passing yards per game and 13 touchdowns. The former No. 1-ranked quarterback isn’t turnover-prone either; he has nine interceptions across his 19 career starts.

Jaylen McClain, junior safety, No. 8 — McClain was tasked with replacing 2026 NFL Draft first-rounder Caleb Downs as the leader of Ohio State’s secondary. He’s done just that with 20 tackles, six pass deflections and two interceptions this season. But the stats don’t truly show his impact on the field.

Formidable pass attack. While the Buckeyes haven’t had the same success on the ground this year, their passing game has been exceptional. The nation’s second-best passing offense with 357 yards per game will be a daunting task for Maryland’s struggling secondary to slow down Saturday. The Terps have surrendered devastating chunk plays in every game this season.

Third-down defense. Ohio State doesn’t do much wrong, as evidenced by its comfortable victories. However, the Buckeyes have had several chances to get off the field earlier in drives. They allow opponents to convert on 38% of third-downs this season, the 78th-best clip. Maryland, which is 2-for-29 on third downs over the last two games, will have an opportunity to bounce back Saturday.

1. Two of the nation’s top receivers clash. Chris Durr Jr. has been the lone bright spot on a Maryland offense that has struggled at points this season. He is tied for the second-most receptions (42) in the country and has three games over 100 receiving yards. But Smith, the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, is widely regarded as the best wide receiver in college football.

2. Complete performance. Maryland’s offense looked unstoppable in the first quarter against Nebraska with 203 total yards and 16 points. It didn’t match either of those totals throughout the final three quarters, though. The Terps will need to maintain that first-quarter level for 60 minutes Saturday to stand a chance of pulling off the upset.

3. Can Maryland get the elusive victory? The Terps have yet to win a big conference game over the last decade. Since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014, it is 0-39 against ranked conference opponents. The majority of that stretch has been under head coach Michael Locksley; the Terps are 0-18 with an average margin of defeat of 31.9 points.