Maryland Football: Q&A with an Ohio State writer
By Chris Bengel
With Maryland football set to travel to Ohio State, we decided to check in with Editor Austin Layton of Scarlet And Game to find out more about the Buckeyes.
Austin will be answering five questions about Ohio State, and I will be returning the favor over on their site from the Maryland perspective. Check out Austin’s responses below!
1. Describe the progression of Cardale Jones through the first five games.
There hasn’t been much of one, and I think that is what has most fans disappointed in how this team has played so far. Jones hasn’t been terrible, but is not distributing the ball in the same way we saw Barrett do so during the first five games of last season. An interesting stat that I looked up is that J.T. Barrett had 17 touchdowns to just five interceptions during the first five games of 2014. Through the first five games of 2015, Jones has only 5 touchdowns to five interceptions.
2. How big of a weapon is Braxton Miller for the Buckeyes?
I think he can be a huge weapon, although since the opener against Virginia Tech he has been pretty quiet. Urban Meyer talks every week about how they need to get Miller more involved, and I have to imagine he will become more of a consistent threat as the season goes on. He is so new to the receiver position that there is likely a lot more polishing needed to be done.
3. How good is Ohio State’s defense?
Statistically they are 24th in the country in terms of total defense. They have been the only consistent positive for the Buckeyes so far this year, aside from maybe Ezekiel Elliott on offense. That being said they still can give up some points as we saw against Virginia Tech (24) and Indiana (27). I have personally been a bit underwhelmed at the amount of pressure they have been able to put on opposing quarterbacks. With a defensive end like Joey Bosa, and a supporting cast of highly praised guys; I have not seen the amount of sacks and hurried throws that I would like to.
4. Is the Indiana game worrisome?
It was to me. There are some fans who would argue that a win is a win and to just go home happy. I agree with those statements, but it is hard for me to just overlook the faults I see in this team. Look, being number one is an adjusted scale. Our performance so far would be good for just about any other team in the country, but not in Columbus. Not with the talent we brought back from last years championship team. I understand every game is not going to be an all-out blowout, where we fire on all cylinders; but I was hoping at least one game so far would have been like that.
5. Does Ohio State cover the 28-point line against Maryland?
I have been hesitant to pick Ohio State to cover the spread in the past few games starting with their seven point win against Northern Illinois. Until they prove to me that their offense can be fluid, I will have to continue that streak of saying no. I would definitely like to be wrong though. 28 just seems a bit high to me; although Michigan is starting to scare me and I’d like to one-up their performance of beating Maryland by 28.