Buckeyes Come Back in Bizarro Game at Maryland to Keep Championship Hopes Alive
In what was one of the most bizarre football games you’ve ever seen the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1) rallied to take a 52-51 overtime win over Maryland (5-6, 3-5). In doing so they kept alive their hopes for a Eastern Division Big Ten championship, an overall Big Ten championship, and their slim chances of making the College Football Playoff.
The weirdness started early. Maryland scored on their second play from scrimmage on an 81-yard touchdown run by running back Anthony McFarland. The Terps then totally surprised the Buckeyes with an onside kick that they recovered to be in business with a first down at the 21-yard line. On the first play of the possession however Ohio State recovered a fumble to put out the fire. The OSU offense then moved a fourth and four at the Maryland 19 and the Buckeyes settled for a field goal to make it 7-3
It took just one play from scrimmage for Maryland to change the score when McFarland went 75 yards on the first play from scrimmage to make the score 14-3.
The Buckeye offensive game plan was to pound the ball on the ground with J. K. Dobbins. They had some success moving the ball but couldn’t be consistent enough to put points on the board. They finally did dent the goal line on a 75-yard pass from Dwayne Haskins to Terry McLauren to make it 17-10.
It looked like the Buckeyes had seized the momentum, but Maryland was not ready to lay down. They answered OSU’s touchdown with one of their own, this time on a nine-play 60 yard drive, all on the ground. The scoring play came on a 24 yard touchdown run.
The Buckeyes had come into the game favored by two touchdowns but found themselves down by 14. They cut the lead to seven again on the ensuing possession when Dobbins capped seven-play, 75-yard drive with a one yard touchdown run. The big play on the drive was a 38 yard completion from Haskins to McLauren that carried to two-yard line.
One again it looked like OSU had seized the momentum. The defense got a stop and the OSU offense came back on the field with a first down on their own 14 and 1:29 to work with. OSU drove quickly down the field to a first and goal at the seven with 40 second still remaining, but bizareness struck again when Dobbins fumbled near the goal line to end scoring threat.
The Buckeyes didn’t score, but they had moved the ball, and they were getting the second half kick off and a chance to keep the momentum they were establishing. It took just two plays for that thought to evaporate when Haskins threw a pick-six and OSU was once again down by 14 at 31-17.
The Buckeyes needed an answer and got it with a 74-yard drive that was capped by a bizarre play, a Dwayne Haskins rush in the endzone. Haskins has been criticized for his lack of running ability, but he got the ball into the endzone to cut the lead to one touchdown again.
After trailing the entire game the Buckeyes finally tied the score at 31 when Haskins hit K. J. Hill with a six yard touchdown pass. The OSU offense was rolling, but the defense was still getting rolled. it took just one possession for Maryland to retake the lead on a drive that feature a fake punt that caught the Buckeyes napping. The fake punt play carried to the OSU 31-yard line. Three plays later a 27-yard touchdown pass put Maryland back on top 38-31.
The OSU defense was reeling but the offense stayed hot. They answered Maryland’s touchdown with another one of their own to tie the game again at 38, this time going 75 yards in 12 plays with Haskins once again getting into the endzone on a one-yard run.
Entire article:
https://theozone.net/2018/11/buckeyes-come-back-bizarro-game-maryland-keep-championship-hopes-alive/
