Fear the Turtle?
Bringing Maryland into the Big Ten didn't exactly send shivers of fear throughout the conference as might happen if Alabama had come aboard. The Terrapins role in the ACC in recent years has seemingly been to help those teams that might otherwise win only five games become bowl eligible. However, what may surprise you is that Maryland's most recent recruiting class appears to be fourth-best in the Big Ten (behind only Ohio State, Michigan, and Nebraska according to Rivals.com). Not bad for a 4-8 team. Does this mean we should expect more from Maryland in the years to come?
Terp head coach Randy Edsall did not win over a lot of people when he took over for a popular (though somewhat underwhelming) coach/alum in Ralph Friedgen. "The Fridge's" final campaign saw the team go 9-4 with a win in the Military bowl and a #23 final ranking in the AP poll. Edsall's first team went 2-10 before improving slightly to 4-8 last year.
That's not all that impressive, but upon closer inspection it doesn't spell doom either. When Edsall took over at Connecticut in 1999 the team was coming off a 10-3 season where they had won their conference. His first team went just 4-7 and then the team had two more losing seasons as it moved up to Division I-A. By year four, his team was .500 and by year five his team had become 9-3. There was again some regression as his team joined the Big East but by his fourth season he'd won a share of the conference championship and duplicated the feat three years later to take his team to the Fiesta Bowl. So doing things like tearing down and rebuilding a program and joining a new conference are all old hat for Edsall.
Meanwhile, Edsall's team sits in a very fertile recruiting ground. If Virginia Tech's gravitation to mediocrity is more than just a one year phenomenon (like it is at Virginia), the Terps could be in position to harvest a lot of outstanding talent in their backyard. Likewise, if Penn State succumbs to the undertow of the recent sanctions, that may further improve Maryland recruiting in their own region.
It still seems a few years off for the Terrapins to build something truly strong, but the wind may now be at their backs to do just that. "Fearsome" will have to wait, but "respectable" could be right around the corner.
2/22/2013
FEAR THE TURTLE—By All Means:
I am a 40 year Omaha resident and all-sport Big Red fan—but also a Maryland Grad that has followed my Alma Mater over the years. Your comments on football are accurate although Maryland does hold a National Championship in football—I welcomed the Team back to National Airport in Washington as a boy.
HOWEVER, when you look at the other sports, THE TERPS are to be FEARED—National Championships in both Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse. Soccer, and Field Hockey all come to mind without any research. Maryland’s Academic and Athletic history will hold up well in the Big Ten.
3/8/2013
Edsall’s a good coach, but he didn’t exactly dominate a bad conference in the Big East. Plus, consider the fan apathy in DC, which is already crowded in terms of sports. I do wonder if there’s going to be animosity toward Terrapin football, as they are the reason they lost their ACC Rivalries.
3/8/2013
It only costs around 350 dollars for a round trip ticket to DC on Midwest Express. If Maryland’s own don’t fill that stadium, Big Red Will!!!!!