Why a LSU football series would be beneficial

By Chris Bengel | May 21, 2015

When comes to non-conference opponents, Maryland could use some tinkering.

According to reports, it could get some in the form of adding LSU to the slate.

Maryland and LSU have only faced one another three times on the football field. All three meetings came in the 1950s with the Terrapins winning each one (1951, 1952, & 1955).

Currently, Maryland has an annual rivalry series with West Virginia is scheduled until 2017. The Terps will also have a non-conference home-and-home series with Texas in 2017 and 2018.

Aside from the two Big 12 opponents, Maryland’s non-conference schedule has been pretty weak in recent years. During the upcoming 2015 season, the Terps will face the likes of Bowling Green, Richmond, South Florida, and of course West Virginia. The 2014 season was about the same with James Madison, South Florida, Syracuse, and West Virginia on the docket.

There’s still plenty of open dates for Maryland to add marquee opponents to their non-conference slate.

From a recruiting standpoint, a series against LSU would be a major coup for the program.

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While coach Randy Edsall has landed past commitments from the likes of Stefon Diggs, Dwayne Haskins, and Damian Prince, Maryland’s recruiting classes haven’t been exactly top notch from top to bottom.

Obviously, recruits are still drawn to College Park due to the Under Armour connection and Maryland being a Big Ten school now. However, several recruits only have one game that they can attend or pay attention to television. That’s only one impression that Maryland has to make and that game may happen to be against a Richmond or a Howard. Those types of matchups certainly aren’t going to sway a 17-18 year-old to come to Maryland.

If Maryland were to face a team like LSU, imagine the Terps facing the Tigers in Death Valley or at one of the DMV’s finest NFL stadiums (FedEx Field or M&T Bank Stadium). That kind of electric atmosphere can really get recruits excited.

From a competition standpoint, Maryland and LSU aren’t currently on the same level in terms of talent.

The Tigers finished the 2014 season with an 8-5 record, which is likely considered a disappointed mark by LSU standards. Coach Les Miles’ squad is usually one of the top teams in the SEC, if not the entire country.

Getting more teams like LSU and Texas on the non-conference schedule for Maryland would be huge for the program’s standing if they want to take that next step. Right now, the Terps are viewed as a solid program, but need to take the program to an elite level. This type of home-and-home series would help do that.

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