Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-11 · by Tom Withers The Associated Press
No. 5 Ohio State defeated Maryland 45-16 on Saturday, with Jeremiah Smith scoring touchdowns on his first two catches and Julian Sayin throwing four touchdown passes. Despite the win, coach Ryan Day expressed frustration over turnovers and penalties that hampered a steady performance. With critical upcoming games against Indiana, Southern California, and Oregon, Ohio State needs to improve its consistency to remain in playoff contention.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — His cheeks flushed the color of Ohio State’s scarlet jerseys, coach Ryan Day didn’t hold back from showing his frustration.
asserted
Day → flush → frustration
With a season-shaping gauntlet of games ahead, Day knows the Buckeyes can’t make them again.
asserted
Buckeyes → shape → them
“We’ve got to get this stuff fixed,” Day said.
asserted
Day → get → ?
Jeremiah Smith scored touchdowns on his first two touches to enhance his Heisman Trophy profile and Julian Sayin had four TD passes as No. 5 Ohio State warmed up for a brutal stretch of Big Ten games with a sometimes-messy 45-16 win over Maryland on Saturday.
asserted
State → score → Saturday
Smith turned two short catches into dazzling scores, and Sayin connected with tight ends Nate Roberts and Mason Williams for TDs as the Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0) built a 31-10 halftime lead despite some sloppy moments in a steady drizzle.
asserted
Buckeyes → turn → drizzle
Smith had a season-low four catches for 93 yards, but the wide receiver made the most of his chances.
asserted
receiver → have → chances
He already owns every major Ohio State record and now has 38 career receiving TDs, one shy of the conference record.
asserted
He → own → record
The game was the 100th at Ohio State for Day, who improved to 87-13.
asserted
who → improve → 87
But his Buckeyes turned the ball over twice and committed eight penalties — four by the defense on Maryland’s lone TD drive — and must play much better in the next few weeks.
asserted
Buckeyes → turn → weeks
Ohio State visits defending national champion Indiana next Saturday and No. 19 Southern California on Oct. 31 before hosting No. 13 Oregon on Nov. 7 — a three-game stretch that could define the Buckeyes’ season.
uncertain
that → visit → season
With one loss already, Ohio State’s margin for making the playoffs is thin.
asserted
margin → make → playoffs
As the penalties and mistakes mounted, a visibly upset Day stalked the sideline and didn’t hold back in letting his players and staff hear about it.
asserted
players → mount → it
“You can’t accept that as a coach,” he said.
asserted
he → accept → coach
“We’ve all got to own it.”
asserted
We → get → it
The Terrapins (2-4, 0-3) lost their third straight game, but capitalized on Ohio State’s miscues to hang around.
asserted
Terrapins → lose → miscues
Maryland linebacker Daniel Wingate picked off a deflected Sayin pass and returned it 51 yards for a TD in the third quarter to pull Maryland within 31-16, sending a shiver through an Ohio State crowd that thinned out considerably at halftime.
But the Buckeyes regrouped and put Maryland away on the ground with Bo Jackson scoring on runs of 25 and 2 yards.
asserted
Jackson → pick → yards
“That was really good to see,” said Sayin, who finished 13 of 21 for 242 yards.
asserted
who → see → yards
“It all came together.”
asserted
It → come → ?
Strike a pose
Smith showed why he’s considered college football’s best player — and maybe the Heisman frontrunner — in the first half.
asserted
he → strike → half
It took just two plays.
asserted
It → take → plays
The junior gave the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead by snatching a short pass and breaking a tackle before bolting down the right sideline for a 33-yard TD.
asserted
junior → give → TD
After Maryland cut it to 14-10, Smith restored order with a 40-yarder, his 11th TD in three weeks.
asserted
Smith → cut → weeks
He later made a jaw-dropping one-handed grab to set up Sayin’s pass to Williams with 24 seconds left before halftime.
asserted
He → make → halftime
Injuries forced Ohio State to make significant changes across its offensive line as both starting tackles — Phillip Daniels and Austin Siereveld — were out.
asserted
tackles → force → line
Gabe Van Sickle, who has been starting at right guard, replaced Siereveld with sophomore Jake Cook making his first career start at guard.
asserted
Cook → start → guard
Also, Ian Moore was in again for Daniels, who has been sidelined since the loss to Texas.
asserted
who → sideline → Texas
Day said the decision to sit him came hours before kickoff.
asserted
decision → say → kickoff
Since winning its first two games, Maryland has dropped four in a row.
asserted
Maryland → win → row
The Terrapins have also been outscored 147-42 in the past three.
asserted
Terrapins → outscore → three
Time could be running short for coach Mike Locksley, who is 38-48 in his eighth season.
uncertain
who → run → season
“My focus is on Rutgers for next week,” Locksley said when asked if he deserves a chance to get things right.
asserted
things → say → chance
“It’s not on anything other than that.
asserted
It → ’ → that
My job as the head coach is to evaluate each week the things that show up on tape.
asserted
that → evaluate → tape
I’ll keep showing up tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday, with a plan to attack the issues that show up today.”
asserted
that → keep → issues
Ohio State: A showdown with the Hoosiers, who nipped the Buckeyes 13-10 in last season’s Big Ten championship.
asserted
who → nip → championship
Indiana hasn’t beaten Ohio State at home since 1988.
asserted
Indiana → beat → 1988
The Aporia
