By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer, and wire and staff reports
COLUMBUS (AP) — C.J. Stroud, who didn’t throw a pass in a college football game until five weeks ago, says he’s getting better at relaxing amid the chaos.
With his sore shoulder feeling better and some early wobbles behind him, Stroud is beginning to look less like an inexperienced freshman and more like Justin Fields, his unflappable predecessor at quarterback who led Ohio State to the College Football Playoff in both years as a starter.
“I’m just being more comfortable,” Stroud said after throwing five touchdowns in the No. 7 Buckeyes’ 66-17 pounding of Maryland on Saturday. “I mean, being myself. I’m really just relaxing back there, and I think my teammates have really helped me. And I feel like we’re starting to roll, get momentum.”
Coach Ryan Day sees it, too.
“I think his preparation has been excellent,” Day said. “I think he sees the field well. He’s got some good players around him, but he’s also making really good throws. His timing is right, he’s seeing the field, making good decisions. And so that is allowing us to run the offense and to be very efficient.”
Ohio State scored on nine straight possessions and piled up 598 yards of offense as the Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) had their way with the Terps (4-2, 1-2).
Stroud threw for 406 yards, including two touchdown passes each to star wideouts Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson against a depleted Maryland secondary.
“Last week and this week, we were damn near perfect,” Olave said.
Buckeyes freshman TreVeyon Henderson, after managing just 17 yards rushing in the first half, finished with 102 and two touchdowns. He also caught a 26-yard TD pass in the first half. Master Teague had a touchdown plunge as Ohio State beat Maryland for the seventh consecutive time.
It wasn’t until the Buckeyes’ 10th and final drive of the game, when the regulars were all out of the game, that the Terps managed to stop them on downs.
Ohio State “had guys look like they fell out of airplanes, they were so wide open,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said.
Stroud has been spectacular the last few couple weeks, and the Buckeyes are picking up steam with each game. They have an open week before traveling to Indiana and hope to peak before a critical showdown with Penn State on Oct. 30.
Poll positions
Ohio State’s flashy offensive display should garner some attention and maybe a few more poll points a day after No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Penn State lost.
Unranked Texas A&M ended the Tide’s 19-game winning streak while the Nittany Lions lost a bruising road game at No. 3 Iowa where Penn State’s standout quarterback suffered an injury.
The Hawkeyes (6-0, 3-0) took control of the Big Ten West with their 12th straight win and thrust themselves into the College Football Playoff conversation.
Second-ranked Georgia will likely move into the top poll position after defeating No. 18 Auburn, 34-10.
Sixth-ranked Oklahoma overcame a 21-point deficit, matching the second-largest comeback in program history, to beat Texas, 55-48, in the highest-scoring game in the history of the Red River rivalry.