Maryland Potluck Part 1: Crab People

[Orangeyes]

Looking at their schedule and assuming they'll be as good as they were last season, I think they'll be extremely fortunate to finish 6-6. West Virginia and Syracuse aren't exactly Alabama but they still present a formidable risk.

Games against Syracuse and West Virginia could make it tough on the Terps when it comes to bowl qualifying. Even with the tough sledding, I still think Edsall has to go .500 to call the season a success.

http://www.offtackleempire.com/2014/6/11/5796500/b1g-2014-maryland-potluck-part-1

 

[dinosaurbbq]

The SB Nation preview has Maryland winning 7 or 8 games and possibly more, but I can't imagine that happening.

I think Maryland has a less than even chance of being .500 and going to a bowl game.

Schedule:
JMU
@ USF
WVU
@SU
@Indiana
Ohio St
Iowa
@ Wisconsin
@ Penn St.
Michigan State
@ Michigan
Rutgers

Certain wins -- 1 (JMU)
Likely wins -- 1 (Indiana)
Probable wins -- 2 (USF and Rutgers)
Toss up -- 1 (WVU)
Probable losses -- 1 (SU)
Likely losses -- 1 (Iowa)
Certain Losses 5 (Ohio St., Wisconsin, PSU, Michigan State, Michigan)

I think 5-7 is most likely and Edsall is on the hot seat.

Maryland has talent --- 1 great WR in Diggs, another very good one in Long, a decent RB in Ross, an experienced dual threat QB who ran for 700 and threw for 2200 yards, an experienced OL. On D, they have an ok front 7, but the secondary is very shaky. Talent is there to be .500 or above. With all the injuries, they've got a lot of different players with experience and didn't lose a whole lot from last year to this year.

However, Maryland has an awful coach. Edsall has been cursed with injuries, that much is true. He's going to have to deal with injuries again this year, just like every team does and there aren't any breaks once the B1G conference schedule kicks in. I don't think he's in the same league as the B1G coaching staffs he's going to face. All of that is hard to say, because I think the B1G is nowhere near as good of a conference on the field as the ACC. The trouble is that Maryland got a tough draw on the conference schedule and its Maryland's first year so there is no no past history with opponents. Maryland's conference schedule is tougher this year than it was last year with Virginia, Wake, a down Va Tech, BC and NC State.

 

[anomander]

Phil Steele had Maryland in his top 35. Maryland will be much better then last year. This definitely isn't a game I am counting as a for sure win. They will have 2 of the most explosive playmakers in the country on offense.

 

[thorpedo]

Phil Steele had Maryland in his top 35. Maryland will be much better then last year. This definitely isn't a game I am counting as a for sure win. They will have 2 of the most explosive playmakers in the country on offense.

Didn't phil Steele have us as a 3 win team last year? But I do agree that we can't count this as an automatic win.

 

[texasorange]

Phil Steele is overrated IMO.

 

[dinosaurbbq]

Phil Steele had Maryland in his top 35. Maryland will be much better then last year. This definitely isn't a game I am counting as a for sure win. They will have 2 of the most explosive playmakers in the country on offense.

Maryland will absolutely be a better team than they were last year, just by virtue of not losing so many key pieces. They do have one of the most explosive playmakers in the country in Diggs. I assume the other you are referring to is Long and I wouldn't put him in that same category as one of the most explosive in the country. Brown at QB isn't in that same category either. It would serve them much better to have a top notch RB to go with Diggs than another 5 star receiver be their second best player. Either way, given that schedule, the record will be worse. With the East and West division constituencies, it is clear that Maryland and Rutgers are now the patsies of that East division. Each and every year they will both play Ohio State, Michigan, Mich. State, and Penn State and just about every year, they will lose all those games. The problem for Maryland is that the cross-division games they got this year were against the best team in the West -- Wisconsin and the second or third best in the West -- Iowa.

Their defense did well statistically last year, but that was with a much worse schedule against much worse talent. While I believe Florida State and Clemson last year were better than anyone in the B1G and I think the ACC is a better overall football conference than the B1G (debatable I know), they also had easier weeks against Virginia, Wake, NC State, and BC. Playing those schools pads stats and they won't have that this year. They will have more talent on the field and be a better team and have much worse numbers in stats and a worse record.

I don't count this as a for sure win, either. I think its probable that we win and Maryland loses, but not for sure. All that may change by the time the game gets here in 3 months, too.

 

[SU2NASA]

Crab people?

 

[PhatOrange]

Phil Steele had Maryland in his top 35. Maryland will be much better then last year. This definitely isn't a game I am counting as a for sure win. They will have 2 of the most explosive playmakers in the country on offense.

'much better' based on what? i think they're pretty much the same .500 team they were last year. I wouldn't predict SU to be a probable win based on last years 20-3 score, but we are home and ease into our schedule more than they do. they could be battle tested or beat up with a couple of losses.

They play:
james madison
at south florida
west virginia
at syracuse

We play:
villanova
bye week
at central michigan
maryland

 

[anomander]

'much better' based on what? i think they're pretty much the same .500 team they were last year. I wouldn't predict SU to be a probable win based on last years 20-3 score, but we are home and ease into our schedule more than they do. they could be battle tested or beat up with a couple of losses.

They play:
james madison
at south florida
west virginia
at syracuse

We play:
villanova
bye week
at central michigan
maryland

Having their top 2 WR's playing to start. One of them being Stefon Diggs. Those 2 alone will make them much better.

 

[PhatOrange]

Having their top 2 WR's playing to start. One of them being Stefon Diggs. Those 2 alone will make them much better.

their QB is pretty blah.