4 short-attention spans
Another pass-the-popcorn game for Jeremiah Smith … Buckeye Nation shoutout for a shutout … Last cakewalk game of the season? … Clock continues to tick on Maryland coach Mike Locksley.
Pregame buzz
Will Jeremiah Smith
record his third consecutive 200-yard game? Don’t bet against it, because the Terrapins rank 95th in defensive passing efficiency. Nothing like watching the Heisman Trophy be won in real time.
One-liner
If Rutgers and Michigan State had a baby it would be named Maryland.
Make or breakers
Ohio State should win even with its B-game, but at some point the tailbacks need to prove they can break tackles to create explosive plays. The Buckeyes have only seven carries of 15 yards or more. Getting loose against Maryland would be a confidence boost for both the running backs and offensive line.
Robo’s rankings
- Texas (1 last week) … Playing Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry used to mean something. Now it simply means a Longhorns win.
- Notre Dame (2) … The Irish have not had to steal a win, but do rank second in turnover margin at plus-10.
- Georgia (3) … We’re about to find out about the Bulldogs’ bite. It’s off to Alabama.
- Miami (4) … Hurricanes get the week off before hosting Florida State Oct. 17. (Some would argue they’ve had five weeks off already.)
- Ohio State (5) … Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith feels unstoppable, but everything else about the Buckeyes’ offense feels … stoppable.
Robo’s rantings
I don’t like ESPN playing politics by lobbying for the Protect College Sports Act that the Senate just passed by a vote of 77-2. Although I prefer it never happen, I’m not dead-set against TV talking heads expressing opinions on culture and society, and the occasional political rant. But sports commentators should mostly stay in their lane, and ESPN is crossing center more than ever. The network’s "College Game Day" crew is especially bad at pushing political agendas, with Nick Saban sounding like he’s about to run for office. The former Alabama coach made his plea for Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act, which is designed to create national regulations for college athletics, including name, image and likeness compensation and conference realignments. Rubbish. Stick to sports, Nick.
Numbers for dummies
.348 – Maryland’s winning percentage (31-58) since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
.522 – Maryland’s winning percentage (212-194-4) over 61 seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
4 – winning seasons for the Terrapins since 2016
1 – active FBS players with the first name Legend; OSU running back Legend Bey.
Across the Field
Maryland usually has talent at the skill positions, but where the Terrapins fall short is in the trenches. Maryland has had 14 offensive or defensive linemen drafted since 2006. Ohio State? 55. But the Terps have been somewhat effective getting to the quarterback this season, with 2.8 sacks per game, tied for 22nd nationally. And they protect their QB relatively well, ranking 33rd in sacks allowed. Can Ohio State find a way to dent both those numbers? Famous Maryland alum: Muppets creator Jim Henson.
We SEC you (a weekly look at that other conference)
Florida is a fraud. Ditto Mississippi State. I’m not sold on Missouri, either. But the 1-2 punch of Georgia-Alabama gets a slight nod over Ohio State-Indiana. Overall, the SEC still is stronger than any other conference, including the Big Ten, which doesn’t have a lot to brag about with Michigan and Penn State falling off a cliff and Oregon having lost much of its shine.
Dad joke
Did you hear Maryland got a name change? Someone got divorced.
Just wondering
Outside of Michigan, what football program irritates Ohio State fans the most? I would think Alabama, but the Crimson Tide have tailed off and the Buckeyes still have the 2015 Sugar Bowl to feel good about. Possibly Oregon, with all its Nike money? Penn State? Any child of the 1970s, likely has USC near the top of the list, since the Trojans broke OSU hearts multiple times in that decade. Who am I missing? Notre Dame?
Day delivery
What the coach said: “He’s a national champ. He’s got a pair of gold pants. He’s had a lot of success, but he also had some losses that weren’t a lot of fun.” – on Jeremiah Smith’s career arc.
What we heard: Don’t expect the ultra-competitive Smith to let up on any opponent at any time.
Inside the biz
I’ve worked in hundreds of press boxes over three decades, but had never been warned to be a little more quiet until Oct. 3 at Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, where a security person requested a few of us keep it down. Granted, my voice can cut through metal sheeting, but the volume at Iowa was well within standard press box limits. That said, the general public probably thinks press boxes are noisy with writers and reporters arguing over what we just witnessed on the field, when in reality the box is much quieter than your average sports bar, in part because cheering for (or against) players and teams is strictly forbidden, but also the press box is a work space. Or used to be. Today, writing on deadline is more the exception than rule, thanks to the decline of the print product and the uptick in podcasters who kick into action only after games end.
Horseshoe haiku
Buckeye balm for warts
Apply Maryland; works like
Compound W.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Maryland has a Jeremiah Smith problem | Oller's Scarlet & Gray Matter
