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Maryland has been abysmal against ranked Big Ten opponents since 2014
By Andrew Kulha
Published:
The No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1 B1G) have a big game this weekend as they look to defend their home turf against the Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 2-1 B1G). And that’s not even mentioning the fact that this is the Homecoming game for Iowa, which is always an emotional affair.
Looking at how this season has shaken out so far for both squads, the Terrapins appear to be a tough Homecoming opponent for the Hawkeyes. Maryland has been overshadowed all season by the scandal involving suspended head coach D.J. Durkin and the unfortunate and untimely death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair over the summer, but that hasn’t stopped the Terps from performing on the field. Sure, they did lose to Temple earlier this season, but they also beat a good Texas team at home to start the year — so this is a team that can pick up a big win in a big spot.
On paper, that may make Hawkeye fans a bit nervous, but Dylan Burn of 247Sports unearthed this stat in the hours leading up to the game. Yes, Maryland can be dangerous, but against ranked Big Ten opponents, the Terps are actually pretty bad.
http://twitter.com/DBurn247/status/1053394071106899968
Yes, you read that right: That’s 15 attempts against ranked Big Ten opponents since the Terps joined the Big Ten. For the uninitiated, that happened in 2014 — or four seasons ago. That’s four seasons of football without a win against what would be considered a good Big Ten opponent.
The pre-game speech for Kirk Ferentz this Saturday is an easy one. “Let’s not be the first win for Maryland on that list, especially on homecoming.”
Andrew covers the B1G on Saturday Tradition.