It's not like the Terps have a shot in hell against NCSU next week, why all the fuss? Terps fans should be happy with the Mineke muffler bowl or the Micron PC bowl, while NC State beats the tar out of the Hokies in the ACC Championship game, and then go on to win the Orange bowl.

Perhaps you can console Fridge and his troops, Pete. Given your penchant for aiding Testudines in distress, you might be just what they need right now.

Pete, i will be the first to say i was wrong concerning the md football team. They showed tons of heart in last nights game and considering all the injuries on the offensive line i think they played very well. The turning point in this game was when the terps decided to kick a field goal instead of going for it on 4th and less then a yard. The score was tied at the time and we would have possible gained the needed push to win the game. One thing people also forget is how young this team actually is very encouraging for future years ahead. You could see however that fla state wore both lines down in the 4th quarter and that was the difference.One thing i did notice that was somewhat alarming to me pete was that ralph looked like he wasn't even a part of this team anymore.It's like he is just a figure head now standing on the sidelines with so little involvement.

As long as MD is content with moral victories, they will never be a threat. There is no chance the beat NCST. FSU is actually a younger team with a far brighter future. Erase the horrendous call that kept the score from being 17-3 and this game would have looked far different. Does Fridge coach his receivers to lay prone so they can get the sympathy flag from the pathetic ACC refs?

Pete,

As a lifelong FSU fan, I thought UMD played well, their young QB made good decisions. However, this game wasn't close, that protectionist hit on the extended MD reciever that saw 7 points come off the board for FSU was a homer call! I''m sorry. I'm glad for Ralph in turning around the program, but RECRUITING wins and UMD isn't even getting Marylands best players! He needs to find some former UMD Alum who's NFL career is over to help his recruiting.

Terps Pete? Really?

Miami - loss

Fla State - loss

Seems like the same ole Terps to me.

Somehow, AM must have somtehing to do with this team.

I have to say that we have pathetically low expectations for this program. I'm not a big MD football fan despite having grown up in Ocean City because they are an irrelevant program.

Short of the NE part of the country, which state with major universities doesn't have at lease one state school that's relevant? Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan normally, Cal or USC, AZ, FL, GA normally, LSU, AL, OK, NE, OR, TX, MO, VaTech, SC, KS even becoming relevant.

My point is, how can a school of 40,000 kids in a football rich area not produce a consistent top 25 team? They have the facilities and resources...it's coaching! I think he's a decent game coach but there's no way he relates to kids and is not a top notch recruiter. Moral victories are a joke for a school the size of MD. One legit coach can change a school's fortunes permanently.

I usually agree with you Pete but writing a post like this only perpetuates the problem and gives us one more year of the fridge.

Awesome post JC,

Please know though that Pete is ALWAYS a glass half full guy. See his blogging on the O's.

What you just did though JC is call it EXACTLY the way it is.

Thanks.

I'm usually a glass half full guy as well. I think the O's have a big winter in front of them and I think competing in baseball can be difficult. Years of mismanagement requires years of repairs...that being said, this is a winter to show some progress...which Pete has said as well.

Competing in college football is a different story. Teams with the most athletes generally win and two good recruiting classes can be enough.

I'll add WV, WI, Utah, TN normally, Arkansas, Miss St, Iowa to the list of state schools with more relevant football programs than MD. Even more stunning is that with the financial gains available from a successful program that the powers that be at MD don't seem to care. There's no reason in this weak football conference that they don't make a BCS game one in four years. $10MM+ from that one bowl would seem to be enough to warrant going out and getting a top flight coach/recruiter.