Mike Locksley and the Terps have a chance to turn heads against Ohio State.
Maryland football likes to keep its opponents “nameless” and “faceless.” Head coach Mike Locksley and his players frequently reference the notion that every game is the most important just because it’s the next one.
But with a road matchup looming against No. 4 Ohio State, it’s hard to ignore the gravity of playing a top-ranked opponent in a stadium with more than 100,000 fans and millions more watching on national television. The opportunity in front of the Terps, however difficult it may be to seize it — they’ve never defeated the Buckeyes in eight attempts — is undeniable.
“This isn’t one of those weeks where gimmicks are gonna get the job done,” Locksley told reporters Tuesday. “You know, for us, it’s about earning the respect that we feel we deserve.”
“I’m just looking forward to the opportunity for us to show what kind of team we are,” added defensive back Tarheeb Still.
Maryland has faced Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State every full season since joining the Big Ten, but the first of this year’s opportunities against the “Big Three” has a slightly different feel to it. Through five games, this team looks like the best Locksley has coached in his five years as the program’s leader, and as a result the Terps are 5-0 for the first time in 22 years. If there’s a time to beat one of the teams in the upper echelon of the conference, this year is it.
The caveat to the Terps’ fast start is the same reason they were the first team out of the latest AP poll: strength of schedule. After nonconference victories against Towson (an FCS opponent), Charlotte (no FBS wins to this point) and Virginia (arguably the worst Power Five team), came wins against Michigan State and Indiana, two of the weakest teams in the Big Ten.
On the one hand, Maryland has done nothing but take care of business against the teams in front of it. The Terps’ dominance has been striking — they have won every game by at least 18 points and have even elevated their play since conference play arrived.
On the other hand, Maryland is yet to play an opponent in the same competitive sphere as Ohio State. Doesn’t that sound familiar?
In recent history, this is where Maryland has fell flat. This is the game where the Terps would come out of the tunnel riding high and sit in dejection by the end of the first half, like in their 51-14 defeat to No. 4 Iowa in 2021 or their 59-point loss to No. 9 Penn State in 2019. Almost every time Maryland has built itself up, it’s come crashing right back down.
Last year, when Maryland gave Michigan a scare in the fourth week of the season, it helped legitimize the squad’s potential. If the Terps go toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes on Saturday, they can prove to the world the excitement surrounding them is not a mirage this time around.
“It’s a hell of an opportunity, but even a better gauge as to where we really are as a program,” Locksley said.
Much was made in the preseason about Locksley’s comment that Maryland is ready to compete for Big Ten championships. He later clarified his words, saying that he wasn’t necessarily claiming this team will win the Big Ten title, but rather the program is at a point where that can be discussed, in large part because of the improved culture.
But the world is not privy to the happenings within Maryland’s locker room, and when it comes to encouraging people to believe, it is all about the product on the field. Progress in that department has been consistent; The Terps have upped their win total every year since Locksley’s first. Now, Maryland is just waiting for the breakthrough. This year’s team thinks it’s the one to make that happen.
“We believe we can compete with anyone that’s on our schedule, anyone that’s on the field. Every week, every day, we’ve got to prove that,” quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa said. “… This is everything we asked for.”
Facing the Buckeyes on the road is a beast of a task, and if Tagovailoa and the Terps want to win, they are going to have to kick their play into overdrive. But for a team looking to break into the next tier of Big Ten football, this is exactly the type of test it will need to pass to make that jump.