Watch: Costly Ohio State miscue leads to early Maryland lead

The Buckeyes attempted a fake punt from their own 33-yard line with a direct snap to linebacker Cody Simon, who was bottled up for a three-yard loss.

Maryland, led by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, quickly struck after the costly miscue on a four-play drive capped with an excellent one-handed 14-yard touchdown grab by wide receiver Kaden Prather.

The Terrapins (5-0) and Buckeyes (4-0) have met eight times and Maryland has never won. None of the games have been particularly close except for a 52-51 Ohio State win in 2018. 

Overall, Maryland has been outscored 459-181, with Ohio State averaging a 34.8-point margin of victory.

The Buckeyes' early gamble indicates they might not think this year's game will be as easy as most others. Ohio State usually gets plenty of scoring opportunities against Maryland, so trying a trick play in that situation was most likely an unnecessary risk.

We'll soon learn whether that play is a harbinger of big things for the Terrapins or merely a footnote to another Buckeyes win in the series.