The conference media days are fast approaching, and that means the unofficial kickoff to the college football season. In the meantime, we're taking a look at the reasons why each league team will or won't reach a specific goal in 2016.
Next up is Maryland. The Terrapins finished 3-9 last season, including 1-7 in the Big Ten. It marked the first time in three seasons that they did not reach a bowl game. Maryland fired its head coach at midseason, and things didn't improve much from there. With a new staff in place, will Maryland reach a bowl game in 2016? We explore.
Why Maryland will make a bowl game in 2016:
The schedule sets up well: When the Big Ten opted to play nine conference games instead of eight, it seemingly made life more difficult for programs trying to claw their way toward bowl eligibility. That's one less nonconference patsy for league teams to schedule, when every victory counts. Still, Maryland has a real chance to win six games -- particularly because the Terrapins will be favored to win their first four contests. The math would be simple from there: win two of the last eight games and Maryland is bowling. Maryland opens the season with one of the easier nonconference slates you will see by playing Howard, Florida International and UCF. Those last two games come on the road. But if Maryland can't win those games, it probably doesn't deserve a bowl bid anyway. Maryland then opens Big Ten play at home against a Purdue team that is 2-22 in league games the past three seasons under coach Darrell Hazell. The remainder of the schedule is difficult, but there are a couple of winnable games in there against Minnesota and Rutgers.
D.J. Durkin's presence: Maryland needed a change after last season's lackluster performance. Durkin is only 38 years old, but he brings a renewed energy to the program, and his defensive background can only stand to improve a Terrapins team that ranked 90th nationally last season in total defense (421.2 yards per game). As defensive coordinator at Michigan last year, he guided the Wolverines to the No. 4 defense in the country (280.7 yards per game). Durkin also has hired one heck of a staff. Associate head coach Mike London was coach at Virginia, assistant head coach Pete Lembo was coach at Ball State, defensive coordinator Andy Buh has held that role at Stanford and Cal, among other places, and offensive coordinator Walt Bell is an innovative thinker whose offenses at Arkansas State shattered program records. It may take some time, but Maryland is building back up the right way.
Why Maryland won't make a bowl game in 2016:
Too many turnovers: Last year, Maryland's quarterbacks were historically bad. The Terrapins threw an astounding 29 interceptions -- six more than any other FBS program in the country -- with 28 coming from Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe. Hills and Rowe are still the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job, and whoever wins out had better be markedly better. Maryland threw an interception for every 13.4 passes a year ago. Both players seem to have shown improvement under a new staff. During the team's spring game, Hills completed 14-of-25 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Rowe completed 7-of-16 passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns. Hills told reporters he intended to spend the offseason working with former NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte on his footwork and mechanics. Bell wants to utilize an up-tempo offense that worked for him while at Arkansas State, but quarterback decision-making will make or break the Terrapins' success in the system.
Lingering defensive issues: You can insert an entirely new coaching staff, but you can't find an entirely new batch of Big Ten-ready players overnight. Last season, Maryland ranked 11th among league teams in scoring defense, allowing 34.4 points per game. The Terrapins surrendered at least 40 points on five occasions. Will Likely provides great leadership and athleticism in the secondary, but the rest of the group has much to prove. The defensive line took a major hit when Yannick Ngakoue (third round) and Quinton Jefferson (fifth round) left early for the NFL draft. There is a lot working against Maryland, and one bad loss could knock the Terrapins off their bowl game path.