Maryland Football's Constant Shortcomings Against Ranked Big Ten Opponents
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When the Maryland Terrapins joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, it came with lofty expectations and marked the start of competition against teams considered national powerhouses.
The Terps were part of the formation of the ACC in 1953, spending 61 years as a founding member before moving to the Big Ten.
As for its status within the conference, the Terps finished with a 177-193 overall record (.478%) and won nine ACC championships (1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1983, 1984, 1985, & 2001) during that span.
The Terps' bowl game record mirrored their overall record: Maryland went 7-8 overall, with their last ACC bowl victory coming in the 2010 Military Bowl against East Carolina, which they won in dominant fashion, 51-20.
You can chalk up Maryland's stint in the ACC to the highs being high and the lows being low, with inconsistency after the '85 championship remaining predominant throughout the rest of their time there.
A transition to the Big Ten offered the football program hope for new beginnings. It joined a conference that features Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Iowa, which were among the top leaders during the 2010s.
Randy Edsall, who had been the head coach since the 2011 season, guided the Terps to a 7-6 overall record, a year in which they picked up their first-ever road win against Penn State and first-ever victory against Michigan.
However, from 2015 to 2020, the program had seasons in which it finished below .500, including the first two official seasons (2019-present) under current head coach Mike Locksley.
That's where we land in the current state of the Locksley era, which has been the norm in the 2020s, when quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa became the leader and helped guide the program to three straight winning seasons (2021-2023). This included three bowl victories: the Pinstripe Bowl, Duke's Mayo Bowl, and Music City Bowl.
Unfortunately for Locksley and the program, it has been a rough stretch since 2023, with back-to-back 4-8 overall seasons that saw fast starts in September and then dropped off, with a lack of consistent play both offensively and defensively.
What frustrates fans in College Park is the program's lack of competition against high-level, top-ranked programs since joining the Big Ten. Recent criticism has been that Locksley's teams aren't ready to compete, lacking discipline, talent, and execution, and are simply being outcoached in those marquee matchups.
All of that has led the Terps to an awful, inexcusable 0-39 record against Big Ten opponents ranked in the AP/CFP.
Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014.
— Inside Maryland Sports (@Terrapins247) October 6, 2026
Since then, the Terps are 0-39 against ranked Big Ten opponents.
No. 5 Ohio State is up next on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/3pUNBhnCMe
In the first 2021 season under Locksley, despite seven victories, including bowl wins, the Terps went 0-5 against ranked conference foes. During those matchups, Maryland surrendered 49.4 points per contest.
Two close games that nearly upset ranked conference teams came against Ohio State in 2018, when the Terps lost 52-51 in overtime after former running back Tayon Fleet Davus ran in a one-yard score, but the two-point bid failed. Tyrell Pigmore's pass fell short.
The second instance came in the 2022 season, when the Terps led 13-10 at halftime against the Buckeyes, led by CJ Stroud. The Buckeyes then scored 16 straight points in the third to take a 27-13 lead entering the fourth.
Maryland had multiple instances when they cut it to a one-score deficit, including a one-yard touchdown reception by Jeshaun Jones that made it 33-30 with 9:49 left in the contest.
The Terps couldn't capitalize after forcing a turnover on downs on the next Buckeyes possession, which led to a long game-ending drive for a field goal with 36 seconds left.
Since joining the Big Ten, the Terps have been within one possession in only three contests against ranked Big Ten opponents. Too often, Maryland lacks the offensive firepower to stay in those games and give itself a fighting chance. This strains a defense not usually built to force turnovers and hold up for the offense in those matchups.
This Saturday, the Terps travel to Columbus on a three-game losing skid to face the No. 5 Buckeyes, who have Heisman favorite wideout Jeremiah Smith.
The 2008 season was the last time the Terps beat multiple ranked teams in the same season: No. 23 California (W, 35-27), No. 20 Clemson (W, 20-17), No. 21 Wake Forest (W, 26-0), & No. 17 North Carolina (W, 17-15). That also included three wins against conference foes, but from when they were in the ACC.
What can the Terps do this time to earn their first-ever ranked win against a powerhouse of this magnitude?
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.