Ohio State vs. Maryland score, takeaways: No. 10 Buckeyes escape wild battle with overtime win

No. 10 Ohio State is still alive in the Big Ten title race, and for a College Football Playoff berth. Barely.

The Buckeyes overcame a lot of the same troubles we've seen them have at times all season to beat Maryland 52-51 in overtime Saturday. The Buckeyes overcame three turnovers and numerous big plays allowed on defense to score a game-tying touchdown in the final minute. Once overtime began, the Buckeyes struck first after going for it on a fourth-and-1 call rather than settling for the field goal. Dwayne Haskins scored from two yards out -- his sixth touchdown of the day -- to give the Buckeyes the lead.

Maryland immediately responded with a big run from Anthony McFarland, one of a few on the day for him. McFarland picked up 24 yards on Maryland's first snap to set up a game-tying touchdown. The Terps then went for two, but Tyler Pigrome's throw was off the mark and Ohio State held on to win.

The win puts Ohio State at 10-1 on the season with a major showdown against No. 4 Michigan looming next week. The loss drops Maryland to 5-6 and needing a win at Penn State next week to reach a bowl game after a tumultuous season.

Here are three key takeaways from this wild game in College Park.

1. Ohio State isn't an elite team: This is not some profound discovery. It's not as if I realized as I was watching this game that the Buckeyes are a flawed group. Anybody who has watched this team this year knew that. The signs were there in the opener against Oregon State when the Ohio State defense allowed numerous big plays to the Beavers. It was a case of deja vu against Maryland on Saturday.

It was only the second play of the game when McFarland took off for an 81-yard touchdown run that seemed way too easy. Five minutes later, McFarland was at it again, breaking free for a 75-yard score that gave Maryland a 14-3 lead. By the time the day was over, the Ohio State defense had allowed five plays of 40 yards or greater. Ohio State came into the game having allowed 16 such plays on the season, so now the total sits at 21.

The Ohio State defense had allowed 20 plays of 40 yards or greater over the three-year span between 2015 and 2017.

At the end of the day, you are what your record says you are, and a 10-1 record says the Buckeyes are elite. But those who have watched know better.

2. All that said, Ohio State can still win the Big Ten: That 10-1 record includes a mark of 7-1 in the Big Ten, which means the Buckeyes are still in control of their own Big Ten destiny. The Buckeyes face Michigan at home next weekend. They have not lost to their most-hated rivals since 2011 when Luke Fickell served as interim coach the year before Urban Meyer took over. They have not lost to Michigan in Columbus since the 2000 season.

Considering how they've played this year, it's hard to imagine Ohio State beating Michigan right now, but none of that stuff will matter come Saturday afternoon. If the Buckeyes beat Michigan, they will play Northwestern for the Big Ten title. Win that game, and suddenly they're in consideration for a CFP berth.

The odds of these things happening aren't good, but they're still possible, hard as it may be to believe.

3. Anthony McFarland is going to be a star: If the name is familiar to you, it's because he's the son of Monday Night Football analyst and former LSU defensive lineman Anthony "Booger" McFarland. If the name isn't familiar to you, it will be soon enough. McFarland rushed for 298 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State on Saturday. That brings his yardage total on the season to 1,022 yards. The redshirt freshman was a four-star recruit who found himself serving as a backup in the Maryland backfield for most of the season, but an injury to Ty Johnson last week opened the door for him Saturday, and he ran through it quickly.

We don't know who Maryland's coach will be next season as Matt Canada still has the interim tag attached to his name, but whoever it is won't have to worry about the running back position.