Who's picking the Terps?
Here's a look at what writers around the country are saying about Friday's Emerald Bowl between Maryland and Oregon State. Feel free to comment with links we've missed.
ESPN.com's Pat Forde predicts a 33-17 Oregon State win:
Why watch: Last chance to see underrated Beavers running back Yvenson Bernard in a college uniform -- provided he's 100 percent after having his knee scoped a month ago. Also an opportunity to see what creative Terps coach Ralph Friedgen has added to the trick bag since the regular season ended.
40-second analysis: The Beavers made their customary late-season surge, losing only to USC in their final seven games. The Terrapins went the other way, losing four of their final six. One thing is certain: Oregon State's defense will create a lot more negative plays (tied for third nationally in sacks, and tied for sixth in tackles for loss) than Maryland's (76th in sacks, 96th in TFL).
SI.com's Stewart Mandel predicts a 27-23 Maryland victory:
As I've said many times, bowl results are often in no way a reflection of the season that proceeded them, and many a perceived mismatch goes the other way. The past two Emerald Bowls (Utah over Georgia Tech and Florida State over UCLA) have been perfect examples. The tradition continues...
MSNBC.com predicts a 24-17 Oregon State win. Here's what they say Maryland must do to win:
Pass, pass, pass. No one in the country allows less yards per carry than the Beavers (2.1), so the Terrapins will pin their hopes on sophomore quarterback Chris Turner, who’ll be back playing in his home state. He’s quite capable, having outdueled Boston College’s Matt Ryan in a 42-35 win on Nov. 10. Turner was 21-of-27 for 337 yards and three scores (with no interceptions) in that game.
And what Oregon State must do to win:
Matt Sieverson filled in admirably, rushing for 142 yards in the double OT victory over Oregon, but the Beavers would really prefer to have Yvenson Bernard (4,645 career all-purpose yards) in the backfield after bouncing back from having his knee scoped. As a team, Oregon State holds a significant edge defensively, but Maryland linebacker Erin Henderson is the best individual in the game on that side of the football.
ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman predicts a 23-10 Oregon State victory (note: Insider subscription needed):
The Beavers have a very underrated D. They are second in the country in stopping the run, and they also are a good running team themselves. I like OSU's D-line to dominate as they face a Terps front that is 107th in the country in sacks allowed.
WhatIfSports.com simulated every bowl game 1,001 times. They came up with a 24-13 Oregon State win:
Highlight: Oregon State, one of the nation's leaders in rush defense, holds Maryland to just 1.4 yards-per-carry in the win.
Player of the Game: Yvenson Bernard, RB, Oregon State (142 rushing yards, 1 TD)
All five CBSSports.com experts have Oregon State winning.
All four Yahoo Sports experts and 76 percent of Yahoo users pick Oregon State.
Four out of six Scout.com experts pick Oregon State.
All four Rivals.com experts pick Oregon State.
Comments
Living in Boca Raon Florida, I don't see as much of the Terps as I would like. However I can say this. You NEVER know which Maryland team came to play on that particular day. Coach Fridgen is a mediocre coach who had his 15 minutes of fame. I am surrounded with SEC football, and you can easily see the difference in the caliber of playmaking and coaching. Anyway, good luck to the Terps and I have my fingers crossed.
Posted by: Allan B. Stark | December 25, 2007 12:12 PM
BC also had a pretty highly regarded rush defense before the Terps played them, as I recall. Lattimore, Ball and Scott are pretty decent backs, and with the O-line getting healthy, I think MD will be able to run the ball.
Posted by: Chris | December 25, 2007 3:13 PM
Here's another thought from a Terp fan living in Florida. There is a place kicker who is a senior in high school in Boca Raton, Florida. His father is an alumnus of Maryland. He is rated the #2 place kicker in the country. He sent in 2 tapes of himself to College Park and has never heard back. This kid is being heavily recruited by sixty (60) colleges including Notre Dame as well as 10 SEC schools. He just signed a letter of intent with Georgoa, which broke his father's heart. I got involved with the Florida recruiters from Maryland. They asked for a tape of the kicker and I sent it immediately. I never heard back from them; so I called. They told me that they "lost the tape". Now you know why The Terps are, and always will be, in the second tier of Division One Football.
Posted by: Allan B. Stark | December 26, 2007 12:00 AM
Terps can't run on OSU, they aren't quick or deceptive enough, that being said, the OSU defense weakness is big passing plays. They are often so far upfield they give up a big pass.
The terps will need to mix up coverages to keep the Beaver D-line guessing and run enough to keep the linebackers from running over the QB.
Posted by: dave | December 26, 2007 3:17 PM
Having watched college football for a number of years, the one item that always intrigues me, is the ranking of the defense or offense in terms of national position. Since the teams do not play the same other teams and they are all in different conferences, the rankings are totally meaningless. Including the rankings within their respective conferences, if they all did not play ALL the other teams in the conference. This goes for individual statistics also. A player may have been the sack leader, but if he did not play against the 2-3 teams that protected the qb the best,that statistic means nothing. All that being said, Terps 24 Beavers 21
GO TERPS
Posted by: Steve | December 26, 2007 4:03 PM
No 6-6 team should be in a bowl, but Terps are in. Sharp tackling on D and Turner's ability to run the option will open up the offense. On paper, it's all Beavers, but the Fridge wasn't Coach of the Year for nothin'. Terps in 2OT.
Posted by: dixie wells | December 26, 2007 4:16 PM
Whats up with the commentators on here..? You ask about a bowl game and you get their personal gripes and complaints.
Maryland is healthy, finally. They have played as good as anybody could with the injuries they had because they had heart.
Look for a Maryland win. The "Fridge" knows how to prepare for bowls. He's one of the great bowl coaches.
Posted by: John S | December 26, 2007 6:58 PM
to the gentleman who lives in boca raton and doesn't get to see the terps too much. i live in boca, have directv and see 95% of the games that are available. get directv and their sports package for an additional 12 dollars a month. superior picture and service vs. cable.
Posted by: fkterp | December 26, 2007 7:35 PM