AP Top 25 Poll: Maryland Terrapins Will Be Tested
By Cory Forsyth
Maryland Terrapins will face three Top 25 teams.
You know college football is closer to kick-0ff when the AP Preseason College Football Poll is finally released.
On Sunday, the 2014 AP Top 25 College Football Poll was released with the Maryland Terrapins receiving no votes in the poll (no big surprise there).
But, the AP poll does give the Terps some warning signs of what’s to come this season.
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The Big Ten found four of their teams — No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 14 Wisconsin, and No. 22 Nebraska — who were ranked in the Top 25.
Other Big Ten teams that received votes in the AP poll were Iowa, Penn State, Northwestern, and Michigan.
You never want to fully get caught up in any poll but it does give the Terps a reality check of the level of competition they are going up against this season.
Here is a look at the Terrapins schedule.
08/30 – James Madison
09/06 – at USF
09/13 – West Virginia
09/20 – at Syracuse
09/27 – at Indiana
10/04 – #5 OHIO STATE
10/11 – OPEN
10/18 – IOWA
10/25 – at #14 Wisconsin
11/01 – at Penn State
11/08 – OPEN
11/15 – #8 MICHIGAN STATE
11/22 – at Michigan
11/29 – RUTGERS
As you can see, after Maryland’s four non-conference match-ups and their game at Indiana which should be an attainable win, the schedule will be a test from October 4th on.
The Terps are lucky to play Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan State all at Byrd Stadium. These games will be tough but they would have been even tougher if they were on the road.
Penn State and Michigan will not be easy but the Terps should be able to rely on their experience to help them in these two hostile football environments.
So, lets look at the schedule and see how many games this Maryland team should be able to win if they stay healthy and play to their ability.
The first four non-conference games are all winnable games for the Terps.
Maryland faces Indiana on the road but the only thing the Hoosiers will try to do is out do the Terps on the uniform side of things. We all know that can’t happen.
The next six games starting with Ohio State and ending with Michigan will all be tough. I believe that Maryland should be able to win half of those games and possibly more. But for know let’s go with the Terps getting three wins from those six games.
When Ralph Freidgen and the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers come to College Park, you can bet there will be some emotions. The Terps should emerge victorious over the programs former head coach.
With all that said, if everything goes right and the team can stay healthy, Maryland should be able to make their way to 9 wins and a bowl game.
Maryland fans never want to hope for the best because their hearts have been broken to many times. But, this team gives me hope and should give all of Terp Nation hope heading into a new season in a new conference.