Maryland Football: What to Expect

There are few teams over the last couple college football seasons that have been more of an enigma than the Maryland Terrapins. We've seen the Terps beat five ranked teams in one year, only to lose to teams like Middle Tennessee State. We've seen ACC upsets and near I-AA loses. With that in mind, it's extremely difficult to predict how this season will go for the Terps.

A quick scan of the roster shows a team loaded with talent at many positions. You have Chris Turner returning at quarterback, who is firmly entrenched in the starting role, unlike past seasons, where there would be controversy. All-ACC running back Da'Rel Scott returns at tailback and his backup, true sophomore Davin Meggett, should continue to provide plenty of solid runs. The receiving corps is just about 8 players deep, highlighted by sophomore Torrey Smith, who has proven to be a dynamic kick returner in addition to a solid, and developing, receiver. Behind him, players like Ronnie Tyler, Emani Lee-Odai, and Laquan Williams (who started some games in 2007) are all capable. Tight end Landsford Watson is proving to be yet another solid Maryland tight end, following in the footsteps of Vernon Davis, Joey Haynos, and Dan Gronkowski.

Defensively, there are many changes, none bigger than the new defensive coordinator Don Brown, who was previously the head coach at U-Mass. Brown's system is a stark contrast to that of former defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, who is now at Kansas State. This year's defense will feature numerous packages, utilizing both 3 and 4-down lineman sets and heavy pressure. The players seem to really enjoy it so far in camp and it has highlighted the team's speed and athleticism. The leader of the defense, junior linebacker Alex Wujciak, is setting himself up to be a future NFL linebacker. He led the team in tackles a season ago and should do the same this year, barring injury. Adrian Moten also returns at outside linebacker and senior Travis Ivey is the veteran on the defensive line, which has redshirt freshman A.J. Francis starting alongside Ivey. Seniors Nolan Carroll and Anthony Wiseman return to lead the cornerbacks while Terrell Skinner returns at safety. The other safety position is a battle between sophomore Kenny Tate, who, as a freshman, played well last season, and senior Jamari Mccollough, who is a veteran and a solid all-around safety. Tate has been very impressive in camp so far and it will be tough for the coaching staff to keep him off the field. He has the makings of an elite safety and is arguably the most athletic player on the team.

On paper, the team sounds pretty good, right? If you notice, I left out one significant aspect of the team: the offensive line. It is, without a doubt, the team's biggest question mark. There is only one starter returning from last year's squad (LT Bruce Campbell) and young players could be thrust into being reliable linemen. The line could end up playing well, but it is unlikely given their inexperience and the fact that last year's veteran squad was not exactly the best in the ACC.

Still, with all the talent surrounding the questionable offensive line, there is certainly potential for a solid season and a bowl win. Here's their schedule:

09/05/09	at California	Berkeley, Calif.	10:00 p.m. ET
09/12/09	vs. James Madison	College Park, Md.	6:00 p.m. ET
09/19/09	vs. Middle Tennessee State	College Park, Md.	3:30 p.m. ET
09/26/09	vs. Rutgers	College Park, Md.	TBA
10/03/09	vs. Clemson	College Park, Md.	TBA
10/10/09	at Wake Forest	Winston-Salem, N.C.	TBA
10/17/09	vs. Virginia (Homecoming)	College Park, Md.	TBA
10/24/09	at Duke	Durham, N.C.	TBA
11/07/09	at North Carolina State	Raleigh, N.C.	TBA
11/14/09	vs. Virginia Tech	College Park, Md.	TBA
11/21/09	at Florida State	Tallahassee, Fla.	TBA
11/28/09	vs. Boston College	College Park, Md.	TBA

That schedule is manageable. Week one will be a difficult game against Cal and traveling to FSU is never an easy task, but the rest of the schedule is winnable. That said, Maryland will trip up against teams that are similar in ability (Rugters, UVA, Clemson, Wake, NC State, Boston College). Luckily, Virginia Tech comes to College Park; when it's the other away around, Maryland's chances at a win are slim. The James Madison game will be interesting for the Terps, not only because of JMU's local ties, but because of the Terps' annual "playing down to lesser schools" funk it goes into that usually happens early on in the season. It's not out of the realm of possibility to see the Terps beat Cal, only to lose to JMU. With the Terps, you just never know.

What I do know is that this team should win, at worst, 5 games. James Madison, Boston College, Duke, Middle Tennessee State, and one of (UVA/Wake/Clemson/Rutgers/NC State) is the bare minimum. If they finish with less, the season was a failure. If they finish with 5, it's a disappoiting result but understandable. They have the potential to finish with 8 or 9. My prediction: 7. The Terps are one of those teams that just sticks with mediocrity for a while and usually wins its bowl game. There's nothing wrong with that, and I'd be surprised to see them with more than 7.