This isn't meant to be pessimistic, but this football season is going to be tough for the Terrapins. There's no doubt the ACC is stacked and there's no doubt that Maryland will need at least six games to get a bowl birth. Here's Maryland's schedule from ESPN.com.
OK, we need to assume they will beat Middle Tennessee State and Florida International -- if they don't, they don't deserve a bowl. Along with the win they already have over William & Mary that would make three wins. So where are they getting their other three?
Wake Forest, the last game of the season may be an important one. It may be the game that makes them bowl eligible. The Terps face four ranked teams: #6 West Virginia, #9 Florida State, #18 Clemson, and #17 Miami. Those last three are consecutive weeks, making a three week murders row starting October 28th. Those three weeks can be disastrous to the Terps season. What makes it even harder is the fact that the easiest team, Clemson -- and that's slightly -- is away. So if the Terps lose to Florida State at home, they'd have to go to Death Valley the next week to try to rebound before having to come back home to face Miami. That could easily be 0-3 right there. Did you see the defenses that Florida State and Miami threw out there last night? They could easily beat the hell out of Sam Hollenbach if he doesn't come with every thing he's got.
What makes this even worse, of the four unranked teams that Maryland gets to face -- Georgia Tech, Virginia, NC State, and Boston College -- only one is at home and that's NC State. Those teams are not laughers. Georgia Tech took #4 Notre Dame to the limit with senior QB Reggie Ball and stud receiver Calvin Johnson. Virginia and NC State challenge Maryland every year. Boston College also had a scare from their cupcake team this weekend, but their quarterback, Matt Ryan, threw for 323 yards and three TDs -- although their running game was nothing like the Terps.
NC State looks like a must win. Their defense is always nasty, but their offense against Appalachian State last Saturday was similar to the Terps. They had a beastly running game but their QB Marcus Stone only had 36 yards with one TD and one interception -- those numbers make Sam Hollenbach look like Brady Quinn.
So let's say they beat NC State and Wake Forest and the three cupcake teams. That'll give them five wins. They will need to bring tough games on the road against BC, Georgia Tech, and Virginia -- where Maryland has the hardest time winning. If they do that, the tough times that will face them at the end of October won't kill their post season hopes.
However, the Terps need to be better than OK. They need to be good to beat those teams in the ACC and make a bowl game. I suggest next week, they exercise their running game for a few plays and then just test the arm of Hollenbach and their young receivers. Those guys need some real deal practice before going up against the heavy hitters, which starts a week from the Thursday against West Virginia.
The Terps need to play each game one week at a time without even thinking about what's around the corner. Each game is as important as the next since wins aren't going to be easy this year. They cannot overlook an opponent and lose one of the few that they should win. As long as they play one week at a time, and we watch one week at a time, with all these important games, this could be an exciting season to watch.
