Where Maryland Ranks in National College Football Polls in Week 8

Despite losing two consecutive games, Terrapins will become bowl eligible according to ESPN odds

Maryland freshman quarterback Malik Washington led the Terps to fourth-quarter lead over Nebraska before the Huskers rallied for the win. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Maryland moved down in three polls, stayed even in one and actually moved up in one ranking after its 34-31 home loss to Nebraska.

The 4-2 Terrapins moved up three places in the ESPN SP+ poll, going from 34 last week to 31 this week. This poll is Maryland’s best among the seven polls we track. The Terps’ worst poll is 55 in The Athletic rankings of all 136 FBS teams Massey Ratings.

Each week, we’ll take a look at where seven national polls place Maryland’s football team. Maryland ranks 43rd in an average of five polls — the Terps received no ranking in two polls — a slight increase from last week’s average of 44.

The Terps return to action Saturday at resurgent UCLA (2-4), which has stunned Penn State and Michigan State the past two weeks.

Maryland is projected to finish with 6.2 wins and 5.8 losses in ESPN’s FPI odds. ESPN's odds are 74.3 percent that the Terps will win at least six games and become bowl eligible .

The polls we will monitor all season are:

* Associated Press
* The Athletic
* CBS Sports
* US LBM Coaches Poll
* ESPN’s Football Power Index
* ESPN’s SP+ rankings
* Massey Ratings

Associated Press Top 25

Maryland has not cracked the AP Top 25 Poll, the gold standard of college football polling. Earlier in the season, the Terps were among “others receiving votes." After back-to-back heartbreaking losses to Washington and Nebraska, the Terps have not received any votes.

The Athletic

Maryland dropped seven places this week, going from 48th to 55. In The Athletic’s preseason rankings, Maryland was 75th. Here is what The Athletic said about the Terps going into the season: “With a completely new look on both sides of the ball, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Terps, but the receiving group is strong.”

CBS Sports 136 Rankings

Maryland dropped two spots from 43 to 45.

US LBM Coaches Poll

The Terps did not received any votes in this poll.

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI)

The Terps ranking remained the same as last week: 51st.

Here are FPI’s odds for Maryland:

* 74.3 percent chance of winning six games, which would be bowl eligibility
* 6.2 projected wins to 5.8 projected losses
* 0.0 percent chance of winning the Big Ten
* 0.0 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff
* 0.0 percent chance of making the national championship game
* 0.0 percent chance of winning the national championship

ESPN’s SP+ rankings

The Terps went from 28 to 31.

As ESPN writer Bill Connelly says about his SP+ ratings: “It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency … SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing.

“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”

Massey Ratings

Massey Ratings are a compilation of 40 different college football rankings. In the consensus of the 40 rankings, the Terps ranked 53rd. Last week they were 40th.