N. Illinois 20 - Maryland 13

[VPI97]

Maryland is supposedly a top 15 team?

Don't get me wrong...Northern Illinois isn't a cupcake. They look like they'll be a serious contender for the MAC championship, but Maryland's players looked out of shape, lazy, and void of any discipline. If Maryland is a top 25 team, then I'm the Queen of England.

Edit - If some of these All-ACC Maryland players are truly the best that conference has to offer, Miami and Virginia Tech are going to rule the ACC for decades.

[sony]

Didn't Maryland get hit for recruiting violations or something like that not too long ago?

[scooper]

Originally posted by VPI97
Maryland's players looked out of shape, lazy, and void of any discipline.

No. That was their coach. :D

[scooper]

Originally posted by sony
Didn't Maryland get hit for recruiting violations or something like that not too long ago?

Yes an assistant coach gave DE Victor Abiamiri a few hundred $$$. Vic turned them in and went to ND. They got a year of probation or something like that. Nothing that will really affect them.

[Wolfpack]

You can't judge the ACC by Maryland alone. Of the four big contenders for the title, Maryland had probably the longest shot of winning it. They suffered some losses at key positions (Bruce Perry injured, EJ Henderson graduated, etc) and would have needed some breaks to shoulder their way past the other three schools. Admittedly, it makes the ACC look weaker, though NIU is supposed to be the best in the MAC this year and the MAC makes a point of ambushing several big names during the non-conference schedule. Besides, they lost their opener last year as well and look where that got them.

I almost hate defending Maryland (their boorish fans don't deserve the defense), but I get irked when others decide to take one game out of the entire year and decide the conference should get no respect because of it.

[tucker342]

NIU is a damn good team.... I'm kind of surprised that Maryland would schedule a game against them at their stadium.... doesn't seem like a very smart move to me....

[Wolfpack]

I think it was a two-for-one deal that seems to be in vogue between the power conferences and some of the better mid-majors. I remember that VaTech played at Western Michigan last year on a similar deal.