http://www.yardbarker.com/content/team/156 Recent articles about the Maryland Terrapins en-us Welcome to the beginning of the hype, where each and every type of poll will come out to find out who is the best in one conference or another. Yes, this is the beginning of we fans/bloggers/lovers of the college gridiron begin to come out of the summer shell and develop that good feeling about our football team once again. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:56:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294300 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294300 There is not much of a buzz at the ACC Football Kickoff this year. The chances an ACC team will be in the BCS Championship Game is remote which tones down the hype but the big buzz kill is lack of star power. The most recognized quarterbacks here are Drew Weatherford of Florida State and Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon - QB's like the economy right now, up and down with rumors of recession. (More about ACC Football Kick-off, Day One...) Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:43:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292995 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292995 College Football season begins this weekend for me. Sunday the ACC Football Kickoff begins and the College Football pre-season hype goes full speed. I am heading over to Reynolds Plantation in Georgia, which is hosting the ACC media event to get my share of coach speak and over used cliches. I'm sure they all going to play as a team and take it one game at a time, blah, blah, blah. Same ole' well, you know what I mean. This is an interesting year for the ACC because 5 years after expanding the league really hasn't made an impression on the national scene. The ACC finds itself 5th or 6th when the BCS leagues are ranked. I don't think I have all the answers but here are a few issues the ACC has... (more...) Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:30:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292000 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292000 Whether you believe he's a legend in the making or a liar, Urban Meyer stokes passions on all sides. Legend advocates will cite his second-year National Championship and a sophomore Heisman Trophy winner. Liar advocates are lining up against Meyer as stories continue to build, just as bridges linking Meyer to other coaches continue to burn. Consider these recent stories from other sites and sources on Meyer's recruiting tactics. It's unlikely the following schools have Meyer on their Christmas card list. LSU: Florida was ready to take all-star corner Patrick Johnson with what they thought was a bogus test score, but he committed to LSU. How did Florida respond? "Florida flagged my scores," Johnson said. "They called the compliance office." "I'm not upset," Johnson said. "Florida made an issue about the ACT score. They're cowards. They had to go behind my back. But that's OK. We play them this year (on Oct. 11 at Florida)." FSU (posted on noledigest.com): "While Gator fans will sit and give excuses or spin the details of what is going on, there is no denying that it seems like the UF staff flat-out lies to these kids. "Here is a quote from Trent Pupello (a player they initially compared to Jeremy Shockey), who is looking to leave the program this year: 'Coach (Steve) Addazio (UF tight ends coach) told me to work on my speed,' Pupello said. 'He didn't say that my speed was slow or anything. He just said that everything (at this level) is faster. "'I need to work on speed and getting stronger, which is pretty much what we all need to work on. He said that they need me at tight end, that I'll have an early chance to play and that all of the tight ends will play on the special teams.'" Michigan site (on the recruitment of Daryl Stonum): The University of Florida stayed on the four star pass-catcher well all the way through. Things crescendoed recently after a conversation with Urban Meyer. According to Stonum, Meyer had a compelling reason why he should become a Gator. "He told me that he talked to Coach Carr and Coach Soup and that they told him that I would be a much better fit in the Florida offense than I would be in the one at Michigan," Stonum recalled. "I thought, wow, my coaches are selling me out? I confronted them about it. I asked Coach Carr and Coach Soup about it, and they said they never talked to that guy and that there was no way they ever said anything like that and that they think I should be a Wolverine. I believed them. Right then, I knew just how Florida rolled." Just Funny: You can't tell the story about Jevan Snead enough (recounted in the book Meat Market). The funniest thing I read in it concerned what Urban Meyer told Jevan Snead. Snead had watched the Outside the Lines special on Tebow, which showed Meyer and OC Dan Mullen in the stands. Problem was, Meyer had told Snead, committed at the time, that he was the only quarterback they were going after. When Snead asked Meyer about it, Meyer responded, "We are recruiting him for linebacker." I had heard that before, but got a big kick out of reading it in the book straight from Snead. More LSU from Fox 26 in Houston: "Hempstead's Terrance Toliver, one of the nation's top high school football recruits, says negative recruiting tactics by the University of Florida first had him confused and bewildered. But in an unusual move, two Hempstead High School employees went above and beyond the call of duty to help Toliver make the biggest decision of his life. "After a vigorous early recruiting rush, it came down to LSU and Florida for Toliver, considered by many the No. 1 high school recruit in Texas and the best wide receiver in the nation. He ended up signing a letter-of-intent with LSU on National Signing Day Wednesday, but not before Florida coaches took several shots at LSU, leaving Toliver unsure what to do next. "'Every time (Florida recruiters) came, they just said LSU doesn't qualify their players,' Toliver told FOX 26's Mark Berman Wednesday. 'About (how) their academics are not all that. It kind of had me confused.'" "Eventually a bewildered Toliver asked his football coach Rick Sargent and Hempstead instructional coordinator Tina Johnson to go to Baton Rouge to find out the truth about LSU. The two went last weekend. 'They went and checked (LSU's) academics out and their facilities,' Toliver said. 'They just came back and told me whatever Florida was saying about the academics wasn't true.'" Notre Dame Blog: When Meyer recruited Justin Trattou he did so by the cover of night. Not that it's illegal, but he told Trattou not to tell anyone he was talking with Florida. Keep in mind that Trattou was committed to Notre Dame at the time. Amongst other things, Coach Meyer talked to Trattou about how the 3-4 defense was not a good fit for him and his football future (read: NFL, which is garbage—the Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers all use the 3-4). Former Gators assistant coach Greg Mattison's favorite topics about Notre Dame (with several recruits), despite his previous love for the school, included how the weather sucked and the social life suffered. Case in point No. 2: Omar Hunter, same deal as before. Omar was snookered into lying to everyone from Notre Dame coaches and players to likely even his parents, especially his father, who wanted him at Notre Dame due to the academics. Hunter said that he was not talking to other schools, when in fact he was—Florida included—while being a Notre Dame commitment. In the end, Hunter was a fraud himself, but he was not the one who was truly taken for a ride. Coach Mattison recruited Hunter. He had an ax to grind with Notre Dame after leaving South Bend on not so good terms, and he definitely took it to another level with Hunter. Mattison, you see, had an assistant coaching job lined up with the Baltimore Ravens long before this past National Signing Day came around. So when Hunter switched his commitment to UF after initially deciding to attend Notre Dame, Mattison and Meyer did what came naturally. They lied to Hunter about the entire situation, telling Hunter that Mattison was not leaving Gainesville. Just by complete and total coincidence, Mattison ended up taking a job with the Ravens right after National Signing Day. Shocking! And oh yes, Notre Dame assistant coach Bill Lewis, who recently retired as a football coach, told Hunter what was about to happen. Hunter did not listen and signed with the Gators. Urban continues to build the best talent base not located in Southern California. Success certainly breeds enemies, but so does recruiting. Urban Legend or Urban Liar? Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:09:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291802 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291802 College football season is just over 50 days away, and I cannot wait. While traditionally Saturday is a Rugby day in Walker-Sports land, even rugby takes a back seat to college football. Walker-Sports originates in ACC territory and lives and breathes ACC football, yes the conference is now 10 years removed from their glory days, but better days are coming, and as out of conference scheduling picks up for many schools the ACC will soon be flexing their muscles for all the NCAA to see once again. So saddle up, make yourself a pull pork sandwich, pour yourself a shot of Southern Comfort (or a glass of Merlot if you're at a UVA game) and get ready to watch to some ACC football the way it was meant to be. Tough and gritty with a wide open race to the finish. ACC Preseason Preview Atlantic Division Clemson Tigers: There is no doubt that the Clemson Tigers are the cream of the crop when it comes to ACC football, they may even be among the elites in the NCAA. However, there is one small problem. They are the Clemson Tigers, their coach is Tommy Bowden and we have all heard this story before and it always has the same sad ending. The Tigers are stacked with talent Cullen Harper at QB is a stud who completes a high percentage of his passes. At tailback Clemson has arguably the best two tailbacks in the ACC with James Davis and C.J. Spiller. On the defensive side Clemson is returning eight starters and will look to use their speed to apply pressure to opposing teams and knock them off their game plan early. The biggest problem Clemson will face will be keeping focus and finishing what they started. Too often Bowden's crew has been the most talented team in the ACC, but not the most disciplined team and the result is another, 8-4 season; great if you're Duke, but a waste if you were thinking BCS in the preseason. Let's hope they don't do the same this year. Record: 10-1 Key Games: Alabama, Florida State, Florida State Seminoles: Okay, so this was a tough one, and I'll be the first to admit that the 'Noles got the nod because of who they are and prior reputation, but nonetheless they made it into the second spot. Drew Weatherford has been in college since about 1990 it feels like. By now he has to be the most experienced QB in the NCAA, and that will be a big help. Weatherford was aided by the addition of Jimbo fisher as an offensive coordinator last year, and he will look to build on that previous success. The biggest asset for Florida State is a weak schedule. They open with four consecutive home games. Matter of fact the 'Noles won't leave the state of Florida till mid October. This means Florida State has a good chance to rack up some quality wins at home and that could go a long way in an average ACC conference. Record: 8-4 Key Games: Colorado, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake forest Demon Deacons: Wake is in the middle of their greatest run in school history. While the coffers don't have the talent they once had two seasons ago, they still have enough to get the job done. That means they will be .500 at the very least and with a little bit of luck they can jump into the second spot in the Atlantic Division. The bulk of their success will depend on if they can move the all on offense. Last year the Demon Deacons were routinely out gained and it cost them. Record: 7-5 Key Games: Clemson, Virginia, Boston College Maryland Terrapins: The Terps have struggled the past few seasons. The bulk of their problems have resulted from inconsistency at the quarterback position. Despite the instability the Terps are a tough out especially for ACC opponents. Ralph Friedgen seems to get his teams to play just well enough to keep his job. That means the Terps will be playing spoiler to a couple of ACC opponents. I would like to say that dropping WVU from the schedule would help Maryland this season, but adding Cal is no cakewalk. Look for the Terps to upset some ACC's teams bid for a title, just hope it's not yours. Record 6-6 Key Games: Cal, Boston College, Wake forest Boston College Eagles:B The honeymoon is over for Coach Jagodzinski and company. Last year Jags was a first year coach and he feasted on the fruits of Tom O'Brian's labor, mainly his grooming of QB Matt Ryan. Now Ryan along with a load of other talent is gone, and the Eagles are ready to return to earth. BC is only returning 10 starters meaning they will be very inexperienced and that leads to mistakes and close loses. As usual BC will be solid on both lines, but they just won't have enough fire power to be in the mix. This will be one Boston team that does not bring home a championship. Record 5-7 Key Games: UCF, North Carolina, Wake forest North Carolina State Wolfpack: Tom O'Brian is a hell of a coach, and he will be put to the test with this NC State team. They lost 10 starters from a 5-7 team, and they only have freshmen to replace them. Combine that with a brutal non-conference schedule and you can bet the Pack will slide before they are ready to climb again. But hang in there NC State supporters, this year may be rough but positive results will be coming down the pike very soon. Record: 3-9 Key Games: Wake forest, East Carolina Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:34:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288315 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288315 Unlike Texas, Florida and California, Maryland high school athletes just can't stand to be home. And while Terrapin football has always enjoyed a decent pipeline of players from Maryland, DC, Virginia and New Jersey, that has always been the program's curse as well; the nation's best football players aren't from those states. So imagine that "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario being diminished by nearby Penn State, turning the small football factory that is the Free State into a Happy Valley satellite location. It's not unusual that the Nittany Lions are snatching recruits out from under the Terps. Maryland doesn't have the history, facilities, or pro recognition that Penn State has. What is odd is that Maryland players aren't sold on the fact that Terp head coach Ralph Friedgen is a former NFL offensive coordinator, regularly puts offensive and defensive players in the NFL Draft, and is well connected in the pro ranks. Or could it be that they aren't told this? Either way, Maryland looks to be sinking fast in the recruiting quicksand. The best players in football states want to stay home, and the best players out of Maryland can't wait to escape. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:01:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287231 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287231 As I begin to prepare for the all out football preview that I'm going to do for the Tar Heels, I figured I would start by talking about the head coaches in the conference and tell all of you who I think is the top of the list and who is on the bottom. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:33:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286976 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286976 The ACC isn't deep in fantasy options for 2008, but fantasy owners should be able to find solid starting options at the top of each position. AthlonSports.com kicks off the college fantasy conference previews with a look quarterback battles, sleepers and freshmen to watch. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:27:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286461 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286461 The ACC isn't a deep conference for fantasy options, but Clemson owns four solid options - including receiver Aaron Kelly. Kelly had a solid 2007 season, and the return of Cullen Harper at quarterback should give him a chance to post career-best numbers. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:57:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280978 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280978 Athlon Sports continues to take a look at the preseason college fantasy options and up next is the ACC running backs. New Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is breaking in a new offense, but the Yellow Jackets aren't short on options at running back. Additionally, the conference gets a boost with the return of Clemson duo James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:04:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278816 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278816 This is the second post in my series of ranking college team offenses and defenses with this one focusing on the ACC defenses. This should be beneficial to those fantasy players that play fantasy college football that uses offensive and defensive units like Sporting News with their game. I will throw some players out there on teams that you could also use in individual player leagues, too. I'm using various methods to determine my rankings which include, but are not limited to, returning starters, skill level on that side of the ball, balance, schedule strength, etc. Having inexperience or lack of skill on each side of the ball can have a direct effect on how they do on either side of the ball, so each intrical part is important and could explain why they are performing well or not. Also, these are my rankings, and in no way reflect or necessarily pick how I predict teams to finish in the standings of each conference in terms of won-loss records. Here we go..... Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:21:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274693 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274693 SCHOOL'S OUT!!! And now it's time for college football programs across the country to really start focusing on the 2008 season. In turn, FIO staff writer Dan Mesday gives you the first installment of his College Football Conference Outlooks. Included, you can find: Key Returnees, Key Losses, Best H.S. Signings, Must-See Games and Previews for each team. This time around - the ACC. Fri, 23 May 2008 22:36:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270480 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270480 Eleanor Roosevelt's Derrick Thomas verbals to the Nittany Lions. Tue, 13 May 2008 11:25:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266452 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266452 The Border War continues. Darrell Givens switches his verbal from the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Nittany Lions. Tue, 13 May 2008 01:27:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266334 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/266334 Matt ran a great 40 and is one of the most athletic linemen prospects to come out of college. Thu, 01 May 2008 23:20:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262534 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262534