Coming into this matchup last Saturday, Ohio State wanted a dominant performance that would solve some lingering questions with the defense and running game ahead of this upcoming week’s matchup at Indiana.
In their 45-16 win, they got that and more.
The defense held Maryland to only 146 yards of total offense, and while the defense did not have any sacks, the all-around play from the unit is showing it may not be as big of a problem as people are seeing it.
The run game also finally exploded in this matchup, going for over 200 yards that included a 25-yard touchdown run from Bo Jackson, which is the first 20+ yard run the offense has seen since Week 1 against Ball State.
These factors should give Ohio State fans an uplifted juice of confidence as the No. 4 Buckeyes see No. 5 Indiana in what may be the biggest regular season matchup that has been played in Bloomington, Indiana in the Hoosiers’ program history.
Yet, another wrinkle was highlighted on Saturday that may make Ohio State an even bigger threat going forward.
While the pass game has been one of the best in the country thus far, it has been dominated by the connection of quarterback Julian Sayin and Heisman favorite wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who added to his resume with 4 catches for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Terrapins.
Saturday, the passing offense proved it can facilitate big plays not only to their star wideout, but the other weapons in the room.
Both freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and sophomore tight end Nate Roberts both caught receptions over 40 yards, highlighting the speed and ability that is present all over this passing game.
While Henry. Jr’s play was an awesome route and catch to set up an Ohio State field goal, it was Roberts’ 68-yard touchdown that revealed himself as a true sleeper in this offense, and somebody that can make a defense pay if not accounted for.
Here is how the tight end’s ability can be an X-factor for this offense moving forward, especially in the Buckeyes top-5 matchup this weekend.
Roberts’ Showcased Speed Can Make Defenses Pay in Doubling Jeremiah Smith
Nate Roberts received a lot of praise in the offseason for ultimately looking like the best tight end in a room that showcased two new transfers and a lot of experience.
Up to this game, his production had been very mild to say the least.
The tight end had only 92 yards heading into the game, and did not look like a true weapon to watch in the offense from a week-to-week basis.
His touchdown Saturday should change that.
On his touchdown, it was a great tight end flanker on the left side of the line, with fellow tight end Mason Williams and freshman wide receiver getting the attention of the Maryland safety Lavain Scruggs to leave Roberts wide open.
The middle of the field needs to be dominated by the rest of these weapons with so much of the safety’s attention on the receivers, and this play was the first time they really did.
Why Roberts Could be a Sleeper Against Indiana
Indiana nearly lost to Nebraska on Saturday, and the game provided plenty of deficiencies still apparent for this Hoosiers team before this top-5 matchup this weekend.
One of those spots is guarding tight ends, where Nebraska senior Luke Lindenmeyer racked up 7 catches for 45 yards.
This has been a lingering problem for Indiana, as in their close-win against Northwestern two weeks ago, Wildcats tight end Luke Dehnicke hauled in 7 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
This is a spot the Buckeyes can, and should attack in this matchup. With the speed Roberts showcased in his touchdown, he can exploit this Indiana defense for not matching him up and create some big plays in spots for Ohio State.
The matchup should be gritty and low scoring like last year, and if they can capitalize in crucial spots using the other weapons like Roberts, it will only increase their chances of walking out with a top-5 road win.
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