Ohio State football saw plenty of points and some bumps along the way to its 10th straight win against Maryland with a 45-16 blowout on Oct. 10 at Ohio Stadium.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith made his standout play look easy with a third straight multi-touchdown game. He sits one touchdown away from tying the Big Ten career receiving touchdowns record held by Michigan's Braylon Edwards.
Quarterback Julian Sayin threw an interception and lost a fumble, but finished with 242 passing yards and four touchdowns at a 61.9% completion rate.
See how the Buckeyes graded out below. Grades are given on a scale of one to five Buckeye leaves.
Offense grade: 4 leaves
The Buckeyes got on a roll with the usual Sayin-Smith connection. Unlike Smith's typical deep-pass flair, he instead put
his speed on display. With good field position on the second offensive drive, Sayin found Smith with a slant pass at the line of scrimmage. Wasting no time, Smith charged toward the right hash marks, leaving multiple Maryland defenders stranded for a 33-yard score.
In the second quarter, with pre-snap motion, Smith worked a bubble screen concept and again put his speed on display. With blockers, he sprinted 40 yards down the left hashes for another touchdown.
Sayin made some pristine throws throughout the game but had ball security issues. He lost a fumble when shuffling up in the pocket, scanning the field for a pass. Regardless of the rainy weather, Sayin likely could have retained possession with two hands on the ball while scrambling. He had another fumble in the third quarter with a similar issue, but the Buckeyes recovered.
Jeremiah Smith continues to make things happen!
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) October 10, 2026
He finds his second TD of the first half pic.twitter.com/b5Glwm1b81
Sayin's interception was not entirely his fault. On a play-action look in the third quarter, running back Isaiah West ignored blitzing linebacker Trey Riddick, who pressured Sayin and forced him to throw the ball blindly to linebacker Daniel Wingate.
Ohio State receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss, the second and third receiver options, were out with injuries. The tight ends, Mason Williams and Nate Roberts, stepped up with scores. Roberts had a 68-yard TD that was the Buckeyes longest play of the game. Freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. made a 46-yard grab that set up a field goal.
Running backs Bo Jackson and Ja'Kobi Jackson chewed up more than nine minutes of clock in the second half on a 16-play, 72-yard drive. Bo Jackson got the bulk of the workload and had a 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He also recorded the first 100-yard game from a Buckeyes running back this season and his first 100-yard, multi-score game since Nov. 22.
Despite the turnovers, along with the missing wide receivers and offensive linemen, the Buckeyes put together another balanced offensive performance.
Defense grade: 4 leaves
Two of Maryland's scores came on turnovers, including a pick-six. The other score was a 39-yard field goal. Maryland started that drive on Ohio State's 32-yard line and pushed up 11 yards before it halted and settled for the kick.
Ohio State's defense held its own, keeping Maryland to 146 yards of offense and 2.75 yards per play. Getting nickel corner Jay Timmons back in the secondary helped; the Buckeyes held quarterback Malik Washington to 64 passing yards, one yard more than the total OSU allowed to Kent State. Safety Jaylen McClain continues to flourish. He led the defense with eight total tackles and four solo.
Ohio State's pass rush is still concerning. The Buckeyes played without linebacker Christian Alliegro but did not sack the quarterback. Advanced stats did not favor the Buckeyes either, with just four total quarterback hurries, three by defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr.).
Maryland failed to establish a ground game of any kind with 2.9 yards per carry and converted three of 12 times on third down. Ohio State's defense has played consistently, but will need to get pressure to the quarterback against the bigger names in the conference.
Special teams grade: 5 leaves
The Buckeyes got a 31-yard punt return from wide receiver Phillip Bell, setting up the first touchdown score. Freshman Legend Bey appeared on kick return action and had a 29-yard return on his first attempt.
Connor Hawkins made a 40-yard kick after missing one from the same distance last week. Punter Joe McGuire averaged 52 yards on punts, one which landed inside the 20-yard line.
After criticism from Day earlier in the week, there were no mistakes and net-positive play from special teams.
Coaching grade: 2 leaves
Penalties were atrocious for the Buckeyes, totalling eight for a loss of 65 yards. Seven penalties came in the first half, including four on the same defensive drive that allowed Maryland to get to the end zone. A bulk of the penalties came before snaps: offsides penalties called on defensive lineman James Smith and Jaylen McClain as well as a delay-of-game penalty on defensive end Qua Russaw.
Ohio State can afford to commit penalties against an opponent such as Maryland, but the Buckeyes play 6-0 Indiana, the reigning national champion, next week. Though play cleaned up in the second half, Ohio State cannot afford to make mistakes caused when play is dead.
Officials grade: 5 leaves
The officials called 15 penalties. Despite the volume, the officials called a balanced game.
Fun Factor: 2 Leaves
There were plenty of more entertaining games on during the Week 6 college football slate, such as UCLA's upset victory over Oregon or No. 1 Texas' late crumble to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. There were plenty of exciting touchdowns, but not much competition facing the Terrapins.
Smith also made an entertaining 8-yard catch with some wicked body control.
HOW JEREMIAH SMITH?! pic.twitter.com/eF3qGIFC2a
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) October 10, 2026
Maryland: 1 leaf
Maryland coach Mike Locksley did not do the Terrapins any favors by calling for a fake punt on fourth-and-9 while down two touchdowns. Ohio State started its final drive at the Maryland 44-yard line and scored a touchdown to make it a 31-10 game. If they punted, the Terrapins would have had a better chance to stop the Buckeyes from scoring while receiving the first kickoff of the second half.
By the third quarter, Maryland looked lifeless. Defensive back Darrell Carey dropped a wide-open interception when Sayin threw into triple coverage. Defensive end Zion Elee got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for showboating after a tackle for loss on Bo Jackson.
The Terrapins got a boost from Wingate on the pick-six. The momentum was short-lived. Down 15, the Terrapins decided to go for two points, which failed. Then, Maryland had a short kick and gave Ohio State opening field position at their own 36-yard line, leading to another score.
Game MVP: Bo Jackson
Final Stats: 23 rushes, 107 yards, two touchdowns (4.7 yards per carry)
Jeremiah Smith gave Ohio State the advantage in the first half, but Bo Jackson was the closer. Jackson acted as the lead running back with successful rushes, including a 25-yard touchdown that put Ohio State up 21 in the third quarter.
Bo Jackson cruises to the end zone untouched 💨@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/B75qNzR0Zb
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 10, 2026
Overall grade: 4 leaves
Ohio State masked some sloppy play with 45 points, but the Buckeyes are seeing consistent play from its most talented players.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State coaching earns subpar grade from win over Maryland. See why
