4 winners and 2 losers from Ohio State’s defeat of Maryland in a rainy Columbus Week 6 game

The stock up/stock down report from Ohio State’s 46-15 win over Maryland in Week 6 action.

Brandon Little — Ohio State Buckeyes & Cleveland Browns News Writer
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Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Nate Roberts (83) scores a touchdown during the NCAA football game against the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 10, 2026. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was a bit of a weird game for the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 6 of the college football season. Ohio State grabbed a 45-16 win over the Maryland Terrapins, but the Buckeyes didn’t play as well as they would have liked. 

The offense turned the ball over a couple of times, and several starters were out on both sides of the football ahead of next week’s big matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers.

Still, Ohio State moved to 5-1, and the Buckeyes remain in a great spot to accomplish all of their goals this year. Coming out of the win over Maryland, here are the winners and losers for Ohio State.

Winners from Ohio State’s Week 6 win over Maryland

WR Jeremiah Smith

You have to start with Jeremiah Smith. The Ohio State star wideout was phenomenal again, as he always is. Smith caught just four passes, but two of them went for touchdowns, and he finished with 93 receiving yards.

He did the majority of his work after the catch, including a 40-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Through six games, Smith already has 916 receiving yards to go along with 11 touchdown receptions. He has to be leading the Heisman race at this point, and it shouldn’t be close.

RB Bo Jackson

Ohio State running back Bo Jackson ran for 107 yards on 23 carries with a pair of scores. His 25-yard touchdown run on fourth down stood out the most. It’s the kind of explosive play the Buckeyes have been waiting to see from the running back position, and they need more of it from the run game.

Overall, it was a good week for Jackson, who got going in the second half. Despite not getting the start for the second straight game, he was Ohio State’s best running back against Maryland.

TE Nate Roberts

Ohio State fans have a love-hate relationship with the tight end position and how the Buckeyes use it. Roberts, a second-year tight end, had just one catch, and he still finds himself on the winners list.

That one catch was a 68-yard touchdown on a catch-and-run down the middle of the field. Roberts showed off impressive speed for a player listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. He’s Ohio State’s best tight end, and he stepped up on a day when the Buckeyes were down a couple of starting receivers.

S Jaylen McClain

McClain finished with seven tackles and was all over the field for Ohio State. He’s putting together a string of nice games on the back end of the defense as a player who can make a tackle anywhere on the field. Ohio State will need him next week against Indiana.

Losers from Ohio State’s Week 6 win over Maryland

WR Brock Boyd

With Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss both out with injuries, Brock Boyd had a chance to make his imprint for the Buckeyes. Their absence opened the door for Boyd and fellow wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. to step up and make plays for Ohio State’s offense.

Boyd didn’t record a catch. He was open several times, and it’s not fully his fault he didn’t produce. However, when a player gets a chance to play significant snaps and doesn’t produce, even as a freshman, he ends up on this list.

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson

Ohio State didn’t record a sack against Maryland, and the Buckeyes can’t have that against the Terrapins. This defensive line has to find a way to get going. The unit lacks top-end talent, and it’s easy to see each and every week.

Transfer ends Beau Atkinson and Qua Russaw aren’t giving the Buckeyes much in the pass rush, and it’s hurting Ohio State. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson will need to find answers quickly with Indiana coming to town. Next week’s game will be telling for this group.

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