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Maryland Clemson football game preview
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At a certain point you have to give up hope on this year’s team. The terrible loss to Rutgers was that point for me. Well at least I thought it was. After calming down and taking a breath, I realized I can’t give up on the Terps. I went to the Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl and Peach Bowl because of Friedgen. I guess you just have to take the good with the bad. I’m expecting the game against Clemson today to be a blow out but I’m still going.
The Terps' games have been relegated to ESPN360.com, which means no television coverage. At first I and others have complained but now it appears as if ESPN made the right decision.
In the past when Maryland has started out slow, they’ve done so with plenty of talent on its roster. There appears to be very little talent in College Park. Let’s recap the season so far. Maryland got blown out by Cal. Fine, not a totally unexpected outcome. Then, the Terps needed overtime to beat James Madison, a I-AA team. Not really what you were hoping for but a win is a win. They’ll pick it up in week 3 versus Middle Tennessee State right? Wrong. Turnovers and all around horrid play led to a 1-2 record. Then the Rutgers game. I had other plans so I couldn’t make the game but I listened to a lot of the second half on the radio. From what I heard, it seemed as if the players decided the game was over before I did.
This really is about as bad as the first four games could have gone for the Terps. Now, comes the ACC part of the schedule. The good thing about this? Since Maryland hasn’t played any conference games yet it can still win its division, conference and then the BCS bowl game, the Orange Bowl. The bad part about this? It really looks as if Maryland could get slaughtered over the next few weeks. A win over Clemson would do wonders for the fan base and the team. Is there any reason whatsoever that Maryland could beat Clemson? No. This team has shown nothing this year. A terrible offense that can’t help but give up the football every chance it gets. The defense can’t stop teams mediocre and bad from scoring. Imagine what will happen when C.J. Spiller takes to the field.
I don’t believe Maryland will go the rest of the season without another win, but if you look at each future game individually then it certainly could happen. The two games that appear winnable are Virginia and Duke. Virginia looked like a winnable game last year and Maryland was shutout 30-0. Duke appears to be improving so why couldn’t the Blue Devils beat Maryland? You have to assume, with what the team has shown so far that Clemson, N.C. State, Boston College, Florida State, Virginia Tech, UNC and Wake Forest will be losses.
Ralph Friedgen’s teams have always found a way to surprise, found a way to beat a team I thought they had no chance to beat. Do I think Maryland will end up 1-10, 2-9 or 3-8? No. Perhaps the Terp in me is too optimistic but I can’t believe Friedgen would let the season slip away in such an embarrassing way. Those wonderful years at the beginning of the decade, with a lot of Ron Vanderlinden’s players, are long gone. No I just hope for a EagleBank Bowl bid each year. It’s not what I should wish for, but it’s the best realistically anyone could ask for.
My prediction for today: 35-14 Clemson. What I’d hope for: 24-21 Maryland.
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