Maryland Football: Will Terps climb out of cellar in year two of Mike Locksley?

How will Maryland football fare in 2020?

With a balanced miss of returners and newcomers, it’s hard to gauge wether or not Maryland will improve significantly.

What they do have in their favor is a manageable non-conference slate and a beatable cross-over opponent from the Big Ten West.

Here’s how 2020 may shake out for the Terrapins.

• Game 1: vs. Towson (W) — An in-state matchup with FCS foe Towson should be nothing but a warmup game and confidence booster for the Terps.
• Game 2: vs. Northern Illinois (W) — Northern Illinois is one of the MAC’s most respected programs but are coming off a tough 2019 campaign. This game will likely be close, but Maryland should have enough to pull out the victory.
• Game 3: at West Virginia (L) — Last year was a rebuilding one at West Virginia as they kicked off the Neal Brown era. They should improve significantly in 2020, which may make this one too tough for Maryland to handle.
• Game 4: at Minnesota (L) — Despite winning 11 games a year ago, Minnesota may be the most underrated team in the nation. At home, they should cruise past the Terps.
• Game 5: at Indiana (L) — Indiana quietly strung together eight wins a year ago and should be in for another solid season in 2020. At home, the Hoosiers win a close one.
• Game 6: at Northwestern (W) — Pat Fitzgerald is reloading at Northwestern after a run of bowl wins and even a Big Ten West title. With more work to be done at Northwestern, this game is a chance for Maryland to get a confidence-boosting conference win.
• Game 7: vs. Wisconsin (L) — Wisconson enters 2020 Big Ten West favorites yet again and a loss to Maryland is highly unlikely.
• Game 8: vs. Rutgers (W) — Greg Schiano will eventually improve Rutgers program, but in year one, there likely won’t be much winning. The Terps should win this one at home to improve their win total from a year ago.
• Game 9: at Michigan (L) — Even if there’s limited crowd capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, playing at the Big House in Ann Arbor is a daunting task that likely won’t result in much success for Maryland.
• Game 10: vs. Ohio State (L) — Maryland played Ohio State tough not too long ago, but it likely has no chance of an upset in 2020.
• Game 11: at Penn State (L) — Playing Michigan and Ohio State back to back is tough enough, then you have to go to Penn State? Poor Terps.
• Game 12: vs. Michigan State (W) — In the first year of the Mel Tucker era and a non-traditional offseason that makes learning new schemes far more difficult, it may be a down year for Michigan State, at home Maryland pulls off the upset to build momentum heading into 2021.

Prediction: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten

Maryland’s schedule should allow them to improve their low three-win total from 2019. They should be able to pick up victories in their non-conference slate over Towson and Northern Illinois, but West Virginia may be too tall a task in Morgantown.

In conference play, they’ll get the teams projected to finish last in each Big Ten division in Northwestern and Rutgers. While they’ll likely lose to Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota, they’ll have chances for a third conference win when they take on Indiana and Michigan State.

The Spartans seem like the team that the Terps will upset given they’re under a new regime and hardly have had a chance to practice their new schemes; thus, Maryland could be able to string together five wins and be on pace to get back to a bowl in 2021.