Ohio State vs. Maryland: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes

The No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1) continued to roll Saturday afternoon, blasting the Maryland Terrapins (4-2) in a 52-24 rout at College Park. 

Urban Meyer's Buckeyes piled up 533 total yards against the Terrapins—their third straight game with at least 500 yards. Maryland's offense struggled, gaining just 310 total yards while producing a season-low 24 points.

How did Ohio State grade out after its convincing 28-point victory?

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	A	A
Rushing Offense	A	B+
Pass Defense	A	B
Run Defense	A	A
Special Teams	C+	B-
Coaching	A	A

Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

J.T. Barrett came into the game on an absolute tear, and that continued against the Terrapins. The redshirt-freshman completed 18 of 23 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Michael Thomas had another great performance as well, catching four passes for 75 yards, highlighted by a fantastic 25-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Those two have the Buckeyes pass offense operating at a high level right now.

Rushing Offense

After a slow start to the year, Ohio State's ground game is starting to kick into gear. A big reason for that is the maturation of the offensive line, which is breaking in four new starters.

That unit is opening up big holes for Ezekiel Elliott, who ran for 139 yards on 24 carries Saturday afternoon. He led the team to 269 rushing yards, and the Buckeyes averaged five yards per carry in a solid outing against the Terps.

Two failed fourth-down conversions at Maryland's goal line in the second half hurt the Buckeyes' final grade, though.

Pass Defense

After giving up 352 passing yards to Gunner Kiel and the Cincinnati Bearcats last week, Meyer was concerned about Maryland and its dynamic group of playmakers on offense.

Those concerns proved to be unfounded, though, as the Buckeyes held the Terps' passing attack in check. Dangerous receiver Stefon Diggs only recorded 52 receiving yards, and no pass-catcher had more than 80 yards. The Buckeyes got three sacks and picked off four passes, one of which Raekwon McMillan returned 19 yards for a touchdown.

Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images

Run Defense

Maryland had a tough time getting anything going on the ground. The Terrapins finished with just 66 rushing yards, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. Brandon Ross had some success, running for 38 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Those numbers were inflated by one run of 23 yards. Outside of that, the Buckeyes were once again stout against the run.

Special Teams

Place-kicker Sean Nuernberger's struggles continued against Maryland. The freshman was called upon midway through the first quarter, and with the wind at his back, he missed badly on a 48-yard field goal. He redeemed himself slightly two drives later when he connected on a 28-yard attempt. The Buckeyes did make a few plays fielding kicks, though, as Dontre Wilson had a nice 32-yard punt return and Jalin Marshall spun his way to a solid 30-yard kickoff return.

Coaching

The coaching staff established they're game plans on both sides of the ball effectively. On offense, the Buckeyes kept the Terrapins guessing with a good mix of running and passing. Ohio State rushed for 269 yards and threw for 264. Defensively, the Buckeyes made Maryland one dimensional by taking away the running game. That forced the Terps into making some bad decisions, including a horrendous interception at the end of the half. That turnover allowed the Buckeyes to take a 31-10 lead into halftime, which essentially ended the game.

All stats via NCAA.com. 

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.