TSR concludes its countdown of the "easiest" to "hardest" games for 2019.

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New Ohio State head coach Ryan Day will be filling big shoes as he steps in for Urban Meyer, who retired after beating Washington in the Rose Bowl last year. Not only will Day have to replace a legendary head coach, he’ll also be inheriting a Buckeyes team that lost stars on both sides of the ball to the NFL in Dwayne Haskins and Nick Bosa.

But Day isn’t the only newcomer to Columbus who will have a major impact on the Buckeyes’ success this fall. Georgia transfer Justin Fields was the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the 2018 class and decided to transfer to Ohio State after just one season with the Bulldogs. He will inherit a high-powered offense with plenty of weapons.

Like Day, Fields will also be stepping into some big shoes as he looks to replace Haskins, who had a record-setting season for the Buckeyes last year. But Fields’ combination of speed and a strong arm should make for a great fit for Day’s scheme.

Fields will be supported by a backfield led by J.K. Dobbins, who’s coming off of 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground last year. Although Mike Weber and Brian Snead have departed from the program, Dobbins’ production will be supplemented by Master Teague and change-of-pace back Demario McCall.

At wide receiver, Ohio State still has plenty of talent despite the loss of Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Jonnie Dixon. K.J. Hill returns for his senior year, as do Austin Mack, Binjimen Victor, and Chris Olave, who have all shown flashes of their playmaking ability in the past. Tight end is also an area where Ohio State is deep and experienced. Rashod Berry, Luke Farrell and Jake Hausmann all return to Columbus to contribute to the passing game. Sophomore tight end Jeremy Ruckert also figures to factor into the mix.

Offensive line is the area that presents the biggest question mark for the Buckeyes’s offense. Ohio State only returns two starting blockers from last year, but are hoping some of its young talent can step up in the trenches. It will be a puzzle for former Maryland offensive line coach, now Buckeyes offensive line coach Greg Studrawa to figure out.

On defense, the Buckeyes were excellent at getting after the passer last year but struggled against the run at times — as was apparent when Terps running back Anthony McFarland torched them for 298 yards on the ground. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson will look to sure up the run defense this fall while still providing the aggressive pass rush his unit has become accustomed to. Chase Young, Jonathon Cooper, Tyreke Smith, and blue-chip freshman Zach Harrison figure to see the most significant playing time in the defensive trenches.

Malik Harrison is the only mainstay at linebacker for the Buckeyes, but the rest of the unit is up in the air at the moment. The middle of the defense could be where Ohio State is a little soft this fall, but moving Brendon White from safety to outside linebacker to compensate for Keandre Jones’ transfer to Maryland could prove to be a good move for the Buckeyes.

Per usual, the secondary is strong for Ohio State entering this season. Jeffrey Okudah is a true shutdown corner, and Damon Arnette is a senior with plenty of experience under his belt. Shaun Wade is another viable option in the defensive backfield. Jordan Fuller is a safety that everyone who follows Big Ten football should be familiar with. The NFL-bound defensive back is one of the conference’s best defenders, which was shown last year when he led the Buckeyes in tackles and also recorded three takeaways.

Bottom line: This will not be an easy game in The Horseshoe for the Terps. They certainly won’t catch the Buckeyes sleeping after nearly upsetting them in College Park last season, but Ohio State will certainly have to find a way to stop McFarland if they don’t want to find themselves in a similar scenario, this time in front of their home crowd. Maryland will have to focus on keeping its quarterback clean and attacking some of the soft spots of Ohio State’s defense to avoid the playmaking ability of some of the Buckeyes’ top defenders. Containing Fields will also be a challenge, but the Terps will have to hope they can take advantage of some of his inexperience.

Series: 5-0, Ohio State

Last Maryland win: None

Last Ohio State win: 2018, 52-51 at Maryland