BALTIMORE, Maryland September 27, 2014 - How many football fans, even serious football fans, had Maryland at 4-1 awaiting their first Big Ten home game next week against Ohio State. How many Maryland fans thought they would really have a chance against the Buckeyes. They are 4-1. They do have a chance against Ohio State. Really, they do.
Saturday they wondered into Bloomington to play Indiana in the Big Ten opener for both teams. For Maryland, it was their first Big Ten league game ever. Indiana was coming off a stunning road win at powerhouse Missouri. Fans were starting to think that Indiana football had finally arrived under fourth-year coach Kevin Wilson. When had the Hoosiers ever beaten a powerful team like Missouri on the road? The only win that could compare in my humble opinion was Indiana's amazing 1979 Holiday Bowl victory over unbeaten Brigham Young. Lee Corso - the ESPN commentator - was the coach back then and that win propelled the Hoosiers to No. 16 in the final UPI poll. Now, indaina was returning home to open the conference season against Maryland. Maryland was not a power in the football-weak ACC the last few years. True, they were coming in with a 3-1 mark, but the wins were over James Madison, South Florida and Syracuse. Okay, well, except for James Madison, the teams Maryland played were not that bad. Against Indiana, starting quarterback C.J. Brown threw one touchdown pass and ran for another touchdown, and backup Caleb Rowe threw for two more touchdowns as the Terps scored early and often in routing Indiana. Brown left the game with a wrist injury at the half and Rowe played the entire second half. The switch was seamless. Touchdown passes were caught by Stefon Diggs, Brandon Ross, and Juwann Winfree, the latter a true freshman who beat his man deep and caught a beautifully thrown ball by Rowe. Meanwhile, Maryland's unpredictable defense stood tall against Indiana's free-wheeling offense. Nate Studfeld threw not one touchdown pass. Tevin Coleman ran for 122 yards, but 46 of those came on one run in the third quarter, and Indiana did not score on that drive.
There are a lot of football fans wiping their eyes right now. Maryland is 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. Ohio State is coming to College Park, and a share of first place in the Big Ten is on the line. Really, it is.
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