Monday Maryland Musings: Five Takeaways From Syracuse

Sep 20, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall on the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome. Maryland won the game 34-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

5.) The Terps are still in the top tier group of the Big Ten

Sure, the Terps have lost a game this year, but they’re still in the upper echelon of Big Ten teams. Right now, you probably have to rank Michigan State ahead of them, and there’s an argument to be made about Nebraska being clearly superior. After that though? The Terps have looked just as talented as Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Rutgers have so far this season.

Penn State hasn’t had a convincing win this year yet; Ohio State lost to a really bad Virginia Tech team at home; Rutgers just lost their best offensive player in Paul James; Wisconsin is a threat, but they’re not invulnerable. The Terp had a three-point loss against a very legitimate West Virginia team and are still 3-1. The pecking order is far from sorted out, and outside of Michigan State and Nebraska the rest of the conference looks a step behind those here.

A lot can change moving forward, of course, but Maryland seems just as likely as anyone to finish in the top two or three of the Big Ten right now.