Texas A&M
football meant nothing.
That was the
program’s status before joining the SEC. In 2009, Texas played for a BCS title.
In 2010, TCU won a Rose Bowl. In 2011, Baylor produced a Heisman Trophy winner.
Texas A&M was not merely an afterthought nationally – they did not exist.
There was a
common belief that being the outlier in the SEC would be problematic for Texas
A&M. The reasons for their acceptance centered on television money and
recruiting, also known as two things that figured to help future opponents more
than Texas A&M.
Instead, being
the outlier changed the program. While I believe they are headed
for a decline post-Johnny Football, there’s no arguing that the move invigorated
the program and the fanbase. They recently added more seats to Kyle Field. Donations
are way up. Recruiting hit new highs, even before Manziel took over.
Texas A&M
escaped from the shadows of former rivals to stand on its own.
In looking at the
Big Ten’s new arrivals for 2014, they come from wildly differing histories over
the past decade. Rutgers, since their magical 2006 season, has been promoted
endlessly by the then-Big East as what college football could
be in New York City. They lit up the Empire State Building once and the Big
East couldn’t stop talking about it.
Think about all
the promotion that has been put forth for Rutgers and you wonder if they are
going to see any bump from the Big Ten, other than the gigantic lump introduced
to their wallets.
Contrast that
with Maryland, who suffered for years like Texas A&M in the shadows of more
established programs. In basketball, Maryland could never gain the national
respect Duke and North Carolina did despite a National Title. In football,
Maryland’s success always came with an asterisk – yeah, they won the ACC, but
Florida State was down.
Unlike Rutgers,
Maryland never received the full promotional push from its conference. The ACC led
zero commercials with Maryland. While a contingent of Maryland fans will miss
the rivalries
with Duke and Virginia, they are about to understand how sweet the air is
when no one else is breathing it.
When it comes to
football, Maryland will see an immediate bump in scheduling a la Texas A&M.
You think Aggie fans were happy when Iowa State and Kansas were replaced by
Alabama and LSU? Maryland has traded a slew of average teams – think Pitt,
Georgia Tech and Wake Forest – for regular visits from three of college
football’s biggest brands in Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Sure, the schedule
got a lot harder but it also got a lot more exciting.
The money will
come pouring in and it will change things. For starters, it should allow
Maryland to renovate and/or expand its subpar football stadium. I went for
UConn/Maryland in 2012 and I won’t go back unless it gets a lot better.
The recruiting
will change too. For better or worse, the Big Ten is considered a better
football conference than the ACC, which is essentially viewed as Florida State,
Clemson and a bunch of interchangeable basketball schools.
Here’s the most
important part – Maryland has a chance to be really, really
good this year. Injuries have decimated the Terps during Randy Edsall’s
tenure so far but the talent is there. In Stefon Diggs, Edsall has an exciting,
highlight-reel-ready superstar that could garner headlines.
And look at
the schedule – it is no stretch to believe Maryland could be 5-0 through
September when Ohio State comes to town for the first Big Ten home game.
The title of this
post was formed as a question because Texas A&M didn’t take off into the
stratosphere until they beat Alabama in 2012. For Maryland to truly take
advantage of their new-found wealth and exposure, they need a program-defining
win.
Maryland has Ohio
State and Michigan State coming to town – two teams that, like Alabama in 2012,
should be national title contenders. Win one and the Maryland football program
may finally reach its unlimited potential.
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