Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State Survive Anthony McFarland, Maryland 52-51 in OT

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Ohio State Buckeyes survived another sluggish start to pass their final road test of the year by pulling out a 52-51 overtime victory over the Maryland Terrapins in College Park on Saturday. 

Dwayne Haskins led the way for Ohio State by throwing for 405 yards and was responsible for six total touchdowns, with running back J.K. Dobbins (career-high 203 yards and one touchdown) also contributing to the victory.

Maryland running back Anthony McFarland ran for 298 yards and two touchdowns. 

Dwayne Haskins Can Carry Ohio State to Big Ten Title

Ohio State has struggled both on the ground and on defense, but it has still managed to stay in College Football Playoff contention—and it’s all thanks to Haskins.

The bad news for the rest of the college football world is that the sophomore star proved on Saturday that he can be more than just a one-dimensional passer.

Entering the game, Haskins had just 41 carries through the first 10 games of the season, good for just 34 yards. Only once did he have more than 10 rushing yards in a game, a 24-yard performance against Oregon State in the season opener.  

The 6’3″, 220-pound quarterback had a different approach against Maryland, pulling the ball down and taking off when the opportunity presented itself. He finished with season highs in carries (15), yards (59) and rushing touchdowns (three).

Meanwhile, he also completed 28 of 38 passes while leading his team to a come-from-behind victory.

Haskins was far from perfect; he lost a fumble and also threw a brutal pick-six at the beginning of the second half. But keeping defenses honest with his legs completely changes Ohio State’s offense—and the results showed in the team’s 283 total rushing yards Saturday.

Some fans had been looking for dual-threat quarterback Tate Martell to take on a bigger role in the offense, especially in the red zone. But if Haskins is able to make plays with his legs as well as his arm, some of the Buckeyes’ issues could become irrelevant.

Ohio State isn’t earning any style points with the College Football Playoff committee, but it’s doing enough to stay in the mix. If the Buckeyes wind up winning a conference title this season, there’s no question Haskins will have been the MVP.

What’s Next

Ohio State (10-1) returns to Columbus for The Game against archrival Michigan, with the winner earning a trip to Indianapolis to take on Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game. Meanwhile, Maryland (5-6) will look to earn bowl eligibility in its regular-season finale against Penn State in Happy Valley.

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

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