Ohio State 45, Maryland 16: Sayin's four touchdown passes settled it by halftime

No. 5 Ohio State beat Maryland 45-16 on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Julian Sayin threw four touchdown passes before halftime, and the Buckeyes led 31-10 at the break.

Sayin finished 13 of 21 for 242 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. That interception, returned 52 yards for a Maryland score, was the Terrapins' best moment and the reason the final margin landed inside the number. The full line history is on the game page.

How it was won

Ohio State scored on its first big throw. Jeremiah Smith caught a 33-yard touchdown from Sayin at 8:40 of the first quarter. Sean O'Haire answered with a 39-yard field goal for Maryland, but 52 seconds later Sayin found Nate Roberts for 68 yards. That was Roberts' only catch of the day.

Maryland made it 14-10 early in the second quarter when quarterback Malik Washington ran in from 5 yards. It was as close as the Terrapins got. Smith caught a 40-yard touchdown at 8:32, Connor Hawkins kicked a 40-yard field goal, and Sayin hit Mason Williams from 1 yard with 24 seconds left in the half for a 31-10 lead.

The third quarter brought Maryland's only points after the break. Daniel Wingate intercepted Sayin and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown at 5:12. The two-point pass failed, leaving it 31-16. Bo Jackson restored the cushion with a 25-yard run at 2:38, then added a 2-yard score with 4:52 to play.

The box score was lopsided. Ohio State outgained Maryland 449 to 146, split between 242 passing and 207 rushing. The Buckeyes had 24 first downs to Maryland's 10 and held the ball for 34:39.

Smith caught four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Bo Jackson ran 23 times for 107 yards and two scores, and Ja'Kobi Jackson added 76 yards on 14 carries.

Maryland's offense did very little. Washington completed 12 of 25 passes for 64 yards. DeJuan Williams carried 16 times for 48 yards. Chris Durr Jr. led the receivers with four catches for 15 yards. The Terrapins converted 3 of 12 third downs.

One mark in Maryland's favor: it did not turn the ball over. Ohio State turned it over twice, and one of those became six points the other way.

Against the number

Ohio State closed as a 31.5-point favorite and won by 29, so Maryland covered. Wingate's return was the difference. Without it, the Buckeyes clear the number comfortably.

The total closed at 56.5. The teams combined for 61, so the over hit. Ohio State's 31 first-half points carried most of the load.

What's next

Maryland falls to 2-4 and has lost four straight, allowing 35 or more points in each of those games. The Terrapins host Rutgers on Saturday, October 17, on BTN.

Ohio State improves to 5-1, with its only loss a 24-23 decision at Texas. The Buckeyes have won four in a row since. They travel to No. 5 Indiana on Saturday, October 17, on Fox.