Dwayne Haskins Jr. – Noteworthy
Relentlessly zipping up and down the field, ninth-ranked Ohio State and upstart Maryland were racking up yards and points at a dizzying pace. Finally, the Terrapins were presented with the chance to end it – one way or another. A gutsy decision by Maryland interim coach Matt Canada did not achieve the desired results, and the Buckeyes avoided one of the most stunning upsets in this college football season by squeezing out a 52-51 victory in overtime on Saturday. After a 5-yard touchdown run by Dwayne Haskins gave the Buckeyes a seven-point lead to start overtime, Tayon Fleet-Davis scored for the Terrapins. Canada opted to keep his offense on the field to attempt a 2-point conversion, and Tyrrell Pigrome’s pass to Jeshaun Jones was off target . “It was a gut call,” Canada said.
“I felt like they were scoring, we were scoring. We had the ball, we had to make one play to win. Obviously it didn’t work. I wasn’t trying to be aggressive. I was just trying to win.” After watching his defense allow 535 yards and seven touchdowns, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer understood why Canada opted to win it right there. “I would have probably done the same thing if I was their coach, the way they were gaining yards on us,” Meyer said. “I’m relieved we won.” Favored by 14½ points, Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) trailed by two touchdowns in the third quarter and 45-38 with under two minutes left before rallying. – AP College Football