Last week, college football analysts were going crazy for the then-No. 21 Terrapins. They had demolished FCS Howard 79-0 and then handily beat ranked Syracuse 63-20. Both Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach had Maryland heading out west to play in the Redbox Bowl.
Despite the Terrapins’ 20-17 loss against Temple this weekend, the experts still think the Terps will be heading to San Francisco.
Last week, Bonagura expected Maryland to face off against USC, but after their loss to BYU, he now thinks the Terrapins will play Washington. Schlabach thought that Maryland would face off against the No. 22 Huskies last week, but after their win against Hawaii, he has them in a different bowl.
Rather, Schlabach has the Terrapins facing off with Washington’s in-state rival, Washington State. The No. 19 Cougars are 3-0, and the two programs have never squared off. This game would bring a compelling storyline as Washington State head coach Mike Leach was very close to being named Maryland coach in 2010, but the Terps opted for Randy Edsall instead.
The two analysts not shifting their opinion on Maryland’s bowl chances means they are very high on the Terps’ chances in Big Ten play. The last three Big Ten teams to play in the Redbox Bowl have all won either six or seven games, which is in line with what’s expected of Maryland.
