Loss to Florida State ensures Terps won’t go to the Orange Bowl
It happened again.
The Terrapins controlled their destiny to reach all of their lofty expectations — an Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division title, a berth in the conference championship game and a berth in the Bowl Championship Series — for the second time in three seasons.
And just like in 2006, the Terrapins were embarrassed in Byrd Stadium in a game they had to win.
Two years ago, it was Wake Forest.
On Saturday, it was Florida State.
In possibly Maryland’s biggest game since Coach Ralph Friedgen’s arrival in College Park in 2001, the No. 22 Terrapins were dominated, 37-3, by the Seminoles in front of a crowd of 51,620 and a national television audience.
“I think two years ago was more belief. We didn’t think we were good enough to do that,” senior center Edwin Williams said. “This year, I don’t know, maybe apathy? Not taking advantage of the job at hand and not getting it done.”
Whatever the reason, this much is clear: Maryland (7-4, 4-3 ACC) will play in a second-tier bowl game after squandering an opportunity to establish itself as one of the nation’s elite teams by playing in a BCS game.
“I’m very disappointed in the game we played, especially when we had a lot at stake,” Friedgen said. “It just kind of boggles my mind that we could play that poorly in such a big game.”
Maryland closes the regular season at Boston College (8-3, 4-3) on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 on ABC. If Boston College wins, it claims the Atlantic Division and heads to Tampa, Fla., and plays for the conference title on Dec. 6. If Boston College loses, the Seminoles (8-3, 5-3 ACC) travel north to play the Coastal Division champion. Defending ACC champion Virginia Tech win the division with a victory over Virginia on Saturday. Georgia Tech wins the division if the Hokies lose.
Maryland’s bowl scenario is unclear. The ACC has nine bowl tie-ins, ranging from the BCS to the EagleBank Bowl in Washington’s RFK Stadium on Dec. 20. The ACC champion goes to the Orange Bowl, with the Chick-fil-A Bowl getting the first pick of remaining teams to set off a chain of selections.
It’s a process Maryland has grown accustomed, since it has been to second-tier bowl games — the Champs Sports Bowl and Emerald Bowl — the past two seasons.
“Again, we’ve been here before. It’s not like its something new to us,” Maryland junior quarterback Chris Turner said. “We have a big opportunity Saturday to turn our season around, end on a high note, and go to a pretty big bowl game.”
