COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Ninth-ranked Ohio State went to overtime to avoid one of the most stunning upsets in this college football season, defeating Maryland 52-51 when the Terrapins failed to convert a 2-point conversion after the potential game-tying score.
Favored by 14 ½ points, Ohio State trailed by two touchdowns in the third quarter and 45-38 with under two minutes left before rallying to a pivotal victory.
Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1, No. 10 CFP) have played this season, they head into the rivalry game against No. 4 Michigan (10-1, 8-0) a victory away from winning the Big Ten East and playing for the conference title.
The College Football Playoff is still a possibility, too. But what happens at Ohio State after the games have been played?
Speculation about the future of head coach Urban Meyer has not been fueled by what has happened between the sidelines but by what fans and analysts are witnessing just a few inches outside them.
As nerve-wracking as it must have been for Ohio State fans to watch the wild, back-and-forth overtime victory against Maryland , it has become just as uncomfortable to watch coach Urban Meyer endure his team’s games.
The countless camera shots of Meyer bent over, hands on knees and head down, are excruciating television. As his defense allowed big play after big play to the Terrapins on Saturday, Meyer looked as if every yard was a sharp stick poking him in the neck. Each penalty on Ohio State, wiping out a positive play for the Buckeyes, seemed to zap Meyer like an electric shock.
“I’m relieved we won,” Meyer said.
The Buckeyes coach has dealt for years with a congenital arachnoid cyst in his brain that causes what his doctor has called aggressive headaches. Meyer had surgery to address the issue in the spring of 2014.
The first taste of turmoil in Columbus for Meyer came this offseason, when he was suspended for the first three games for his handling of former assistant coach Zach Smith, who had been accused by his ex-wife of domestic abuse.
Meyer has faced numerous questions since his return to the sideline about his future as Ohio State coach and his health. He has said he expects to be back in 2019. But in a season in which there has been limited drama on the field — with No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson stomping toward a seemingly inevitable College Football Playoff championship matchup — whether Meyer can continue to be Ohio State coach has become the most intriguing story of 2018.
By Ralph Russo, AP College Football Writer