Ohio State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Maryland in Week 6

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2. Maryland rallies behind third-string quarterback

Maryland has had no luck in 2017.

In arguably the team’s first true statement win of the D.J. Durkin era, the Terrapins defeated No. 25 Texas on their home turf, but did so at a steep cost.

The team lost their starting quarterback, sophomore Tyrrell Pigrome, to a season-ending ACL injury at the end of the third quarter, but rallied behind freshman backup Kasim Hill to close the game out with the ‘W’.

But the Hill era at Maryland would ultimately be short-lived, at least for now, as a mere two weeks later, he also tore his ACL and would also miss the remainder of the 2017 season.

This was obviously a huge blow for a promising Terrapins squad, as few teams can weather the storm of losing two quarterbacks early in the season and remain competitive, but funny enough, Maryland has done just that.

Led by third-string sophomore quarterback Max Bortenschlager, a three-star recruit from Indianapolis, Ind., the Terrapins’ defeated Minnesota on its home turf and proved that regardless of who is lined up under center, Maryland is a team that can compete.

And in Week 6, the Terrapins will need all of the fight they can muster while attempting to upset Big Ten East foe Ohio State.

The Buckeyes’ roster is by far the best Maryland has seen this year, with an offense that’s averaging 42.6 points per game and a defense that didn’t give up a single catch to a wide receiver in their Week 5 game against Rutgers.

Durkin should be commended for building such a resilient roster in only his second season on campus.

While many other coaches would simply accept their fate after losing two quarterbacks in three weeks, Durkin’s squad has rallied together and fielded a string of impressive games regardless of who is behind center.

Even though it’s incredibly unlikely that Maryland will be able to pull off a victory against Ohio State on its home field, this game could end up being a lot closer than some fans would like to admit, and should serve as a good measuring stick for just how far Maryland has come, and just how far it still needs to go.

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