COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the face of adversity, the Ohio State defense was able to hum along against Maryland.

Winning the game 73-14, the defense avenged last season’s woes against the Terrapins. The defensive line and linebackers especially shined, limiting Maryland to zero points in the first half. In spite of Chase Young’s absence, Ohio State’s defense continued to cruise along.

Let’s take a look at how each unit graded out in the ninth game of the year. The grades will compare the Buckeyes to the rest of college football, so a C grade is average, but a prestigious team like Ohio State has set a higher bar than being average.

The defensive line showed its character and resilience against Maryland. Missing its two defensive ends, the unit entered the game as depleted as it had been all year, but the group showed that it can produce even without its star.

The depth was on display for the front four all game. Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith excelled, as both underclassmen got the start. Smith was able to do his best Young impression by bringing down the quarterback on two occasions. Harrison was able to give Ohio State fans a glimpse at his tremendous potential when he was able to record a sack of his own later in the game.

On the inside, Davon Hamilton was excellent. Hamilton is not known for his ability to rush the quarterback, but he was able to surge through the offensive line and take down Maryland’s quarterback in the backfield twice.

Overall, the defensive line was able to prove that it contains the talent to produce without its top performer, but it is yet to be seen how the group will perform in a big-time game under the current circumstances.

No group had it worse than the linebackers in last year’s matchup with Maryland. The Terrapins were able to run all over the Buckeyes, and a lack of discipline allowed big runs to hurt the Buckeyes.

With the same group lining up across from Maryland on Saturday, the Buckeyes were able to produce a much different result. Maryland was held to 62 rushing yards for the whole contest, and after the first quarter, they had only one total yard of offense.

Malik Harrison and Tuf Borland each tallied five tackles on the day to share the most tackles for the Buckeyes. Both Harrison and Borland would also contribute a sack to Ohio State’s total of seven sacks.

The lone interception went to K’Vaughan Pope, who also added a tackle to his day. The linebackers were sound against Maryland, and it has become a theme for the unit all season.

The secondary was truly not tested the entire game. Outside of the passing touchdown in the third quarter, the group was able to limit anything that the Terrapins were trying to do through the air.

Maryland would only complete 8-of-17 passes for a grand total of 77 yards. Jeff Okudah was able to break up a pass early in the game, but that was about it for plays from the secondary.

While the group had a quiet game from the standpoint of making big plays, they were able to limit the plays produced by Maryland. The starters held Maryland to only 42 passing yards in the first half, and more importantly, they prevented the Terrapins from finding the endzone.

The game was predictable in the sense that Ohio State’s starters were able to keep Maryland off the board in the first half. The seven sacks may have come as a slight surprise, considering the absence of Young, but the Buckeyes were able to remind the nation that this defense is made up of talented personnel that can execute consistently.

The Buckeyes will need to keep the discipline and edge that they played with going forward, especially with the Big Ten East on the line when the Buckeyes play host to Penn State in two weeks.