Big Ten football power rankings after spring portal closes: Did Nittany Lions get better?
By Josh Yourish
Maryland Terrapins. . . . Head Coach: Mike Locksley. Last Year: 8-5 Music City Bowl W. . 439. . 12
Key losses: Taulia Tagovailoa, DJ Glaze Key additions: MJ Morris, Aliou Bah
Maryland didn’t look like a team that would miss Taulia Tagovailoa when the Terrapins dominated Auburn 31-13 in the Music City Bowl with Billy Edwards Jr. at quarterback. However, Edwards completed just six passes for 126 yards and Maryland only gained 10 more yards than Auburn despite the lopsided score.
That bowl game victory was a misleading result and though he wasn’t as good as his brother, Tagovailoa was one of the best quarterbacks in the conference last season. M.J. Morris, a transfer quarterback from N.C. State will likely slot in as the starter, but will be a significant downgrade.
Last year, Maryland got to just eight wins after starting 5-0 in a stretch that included wins over Towson and Charlotte. This year, the schedule is getting a bit harder, and while early season wins over UConn and Villanova would look good on the basketball court, don’t get fooled by them on the football field. Maryland may still get to seven or eight wins, but this isn’t a good football team.