The Maryland Terrapins are putting several decades of history behind them this season, as they leave their longtime home in the Atlantic Coast Conference and move to the Big Ten. This will naturally be an adjustment period for Maryland, and what has to be kept in mind is how the Big Ten has shifted its structure in order to bring the Terrapins into the conference. This, more than the Terps themselves, will affect how well Maryland does from a strict win-loss standpoint this season.
Strengths
The Terrapins rely on their defense, especially their rushing defense, to put them in a better position to win on gamedays. Maryland head coach Randy Edsall, dating back to his time as the head coach at the University of Connecticut, likes to play games that are centered around his defenses. Edsall relishes the ability to play a slow game and demonstrate more toughness than the opposition, grinding it into a fine powder. Maryland is not a speed-based team or a team with an up-tempo offense. The Terps like to play in the slow lane, and this is why the defense gets more attention from Edsall and the rest of the coaching staff. Maryland can line up and play smashmouth football. That’s what it wants to do under ideal circumstances.
Weaknesses
The Terrapins embrace one kind of football, but this means that they’re underequipped to play other forms of football. Maryland does not have extremely swift receivers and other playmakers. The Terps do not beat their opponents outside the numbers, on the perimeter of the football field. They win games between the numbers and especially between the hashmarks in the middle of the field. Injuries have limited this program’s development at quarterback, especially in the Murphy’s Law 2012 season that prevented the Terps from being able to do much of anything, but even last year, it’s not as though the Terrapins made great strides. They did enough to make a bowl game, but keep in mind that this was because they didn’t lose three quarterbacks in the same season, which is what happened in 2012. Maryland was completely outgunned by the best teams in the ACC. That could very well remain in place in the Big Ten. It’s true that the Big Ten’s best team, Michigan State, is not as good as the ACC’s best team, Florida State. Clemson, the ACC’s second-best team, beat the Big Ten’s second-best team, Ohio State, last season. Yet, a lot of the Big Ten has become more modernized in its approach to offense, so Maryland could still be left in the cold.
Schedule
The Terrapins have to play Michigan State, Ohio State, and Michigan as a result of being placed in the Big Ten East Division instead of the West. That’s a really bad break, one that will limit the Terrapins’ opportunities this season and in the years to come. Hosting Iowa won’t be easy, either. Road trips to Penn State and Wisconsin loom as well. Most of the non-conference games should be wins, but the Big Ten is going to be hard to escape with more than two wins in the conference.
Outlook
The fact that Maryland got placed in the tougher of the two Big Ten divisions is the real killer here. You will find it hard to think that Maryland can win at least seven games under this basic circumstance.
Pick: Under 6.5 at -150