We are entering a pivotal week in college football. Some of the top teams in the country are already out of the College Football Playoff race. While Alabama and Georgia are thriving, others are holding on by a thread.
Maryland Terrapins vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Saturday, October 9, 2021 – 12:00 PM EDT at Ohio Stadium
Ohio State suffered an early loss to Oregon. This was a respectable team to lose to, but Oregon’s loss last week hurts their strength of record. Now, the Buckeyes are in a very precarious position. They have to win the rest of their games and hope that is enough to make it to the CFP. It should be, but a loss would end their title hopes, regardless of who you lose to.
That pressure makes this game against Maryland interesting. Maryland is coming off of an embarrassing performance last weekend, and they will be looking to bounce back.
They will need to bring everything possible against the Buckeyes, and that still might not be enough. NCAAF odds favor Ohio State by 21 points. Who will cover this spread? Here are the keys for each team and a prediction for this weekend.
Keys for Maryland to Cover the Spread
Maryland has one obvious concern after last week’s atrocious game. They must find a way to limit their turnovers. To be fair, they were doing well in this category before they played Iowa. Last week, Taulia Tagovailoa threw five interceptions and was benched. It is safe to say that he won’t have that bad of a night again in college football, but they’re still needs to be some improvement at quarterback.
It is safe to assume that Tagovailoa will get another shot next week. After all, his replacement threw an interception as well last week. Tagovailoa has been a great quarterback, and he simply needs to bounce back. Limiting turnovers will keep Maryland’s defense from playing with their backs against the wall every drive.
They won’t have the best defensive performance against the Buckeyes, but they need to do enough to keep this game balanced. If Maryland has to scrap back with an aggressive offensive strategy, they will fail to do so. Besides this, look for the execution of simple plays. With a 21-point spread, minor mistakes could turn this thing in the wrong direction. A few busted coverages or dropped passes could turn this from a respectable score to a blowout.
Keys for Ohio State to Cover the Spread
Ohio State can’t expect to force six interceptions, but winning the turnover battle has been important for them all season. They need to do it again this weekend. Maryland has an efficient offense except for the turnovers, so you have to capitalize on their few mistakes.
The Buckeyes need to avoid the catastrophic mistakes to win this game, but this is more than that. They’re looking to cover a 21-point spread, which means they need flawless execution. They have to finish drives with touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. When they are in the red zone, they need to leave with seven points.
Ohio State played their best game of the season last week, and they now need to show that they have turned a corner on the season. We’ll see how close they get to achieving this, but they have what it takes to cover the spread. If they play their best game on both sides of the ball, they will win this one by at least four touchdowns.
Who Will Cover the Spread?
Taulia Tagovailoa is a good quarterback. He will bounce back this weekend against the Buckeyes. Expect him to remain aggressive and improve in his decision-making. However, that will not be enough to win the game for Maryland.
Ohio State has likely turned the corner, but they are always liable to slip up and fail to cover the spread. Both teams are 3-2 against the spread this year, but the Buckeyes have a history of struggle wins in the past. Even if they win this game by double digits, it will take a great game for a true blowout by OSU.
That’s why I have Maryland covering the spread for my NCAAF pick. They should put points on the board, and that will put the bar too high for OSU’s offense to hurdle.
NCAAF Pick: Maryland +21 (-117) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
