For Maryland Football It Is A Season of "What Ifs"

It is hard to believe that over two months have passed since Terrapin Nation was whipped into a frenzy after the Terps pulled off the improbable and beat the Longhorns in Austin.  The expectations for this season were low going into that game.  Most everyone thought the Terps did not stand a chance against a presumptuously ranked Texas team that was not about to have their new golden boy's ship sink in his own port on its' maiden voyage against some lowly carpetbaggers from the Big 10.  But lo and behold, the Terps were able to hang 51 points on Texas in their own stadium and come out with their first win over a ranked opponent since 2010.  Expectations were through the roof for the season, and many thought that the Terps could make some noise once the Big 10 schedule began.  Fast forward to now, and quarterbacking injuries have made the Terps season a shell (pun intended) of what it could have been based on the Texas win.  This season for the Terps has been defined by "What If's", and there are more "What If" scenarios that define this Terps season than you may think.  These scenarios span the Terps past, present, and future, and they are questions that all Terps fans should be asking themselves at this point in the season.  Let's go through all of them in order to get a better idea of the state of this season, and a better idea of where the Terps go from here.

What If.....Kevin Anderson had been able to keep James Franklin as head coach. A nice trip down memory lane, but one that is more pertinent as the game against Penn State on November 25 draws closer.  That game will mark the first time James Franklin will coach at Byrd Stadium since leaving Maryland for Vanderbilt in 2011, and his fortune compared to that of the Terps since that time could not be more opposite.  Franklin sent a lifetime SEC doormat to three straight bowl games and consecutive nine win seasons, and he has vaulted Penn State back into the national spotlight.  All it would have taken to keep Franklin in College Park was for Anderson to reassure Franklin that he would get rid of Ralph Friedgen after the 2010 season, which he ultimately did, and that Franklin was the guy to replace him.  That never happened and Anderson decided to hitch his wagon to Randy Edsall.  Two weeks from now Terps fans will be able to see the error in that decision staring back at them from the opposing sideline.  But enough of the past, let's take a look at a "What If" that is more relevant to the here and now.

What If.....Tyrrell Pigrome and/or Kasim Hill were still playing at this point in the season.  The biggest "What If" of the season because both quarterbacks showed so much promise.  For two and a half quarters, Pigrome showed that he was not the diminutive chucker he was a year ago.  Pigrome ran the read option to perfection, which allowed Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison to run rough shot over the Texas defense.  What was most impressive was how well Pigrome improved as a passer from last season, and his ability to hit receivers deep down the field.  Terps fans' expectations for the season went up after every offensive snap, and they only went higher with Kasim Hill.  A Freshman who could perform under pressure with a Cam Newton-like build was something that made everyone think that we could take on the likes of Ohio State and Michigan.  If either could have stayed healthy it is more than likely that we would have beaten UCF, Northwestern, and Rutgers, and I still purport that with either of them at the helm we would have been within a touchdown of Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Michigan going into the fourth quarter.  Alas it is all for naught, but there are still two games to play and another "What If" that Terps fans are asking themselves right now.

What If.....We beat Michigan State and/or Penn State.  You need to see a doctor because someone slipped peyote into your drink.  But if Max Bortenschlager or Ryan Brand can somehow find a way to win one or both of these games it will bring the theme of the season back to the idea of lost potential and "What could we have done if we had Pigrome or Hill".  They would be landmark wins, but it will only mean something in the short term if the Terps can win both and be bowl eligible which seems highly unlikely. The more probable outcome is that Michigan State and Penn State beat the brakes off of the Terps.  But the long term effect of staying close to either of these teams, god forbid beating either of these teams, leads into the final "What If" of this season.

What If.....All of this is a prelude to Maryland's rise to Big Ten contender status.  It was the thought in everyone's mind this year after the Texas game, but it is now a thought that extends into next season.  Pigrome and Hill will be coming off devastating injuries but they will be back.  Right now the Terps have the 21st ranked 2018 recruiting class according to ESPN.com, and if they can hold that spot they will be rolling into next season with back to back Top 20 recruiting classes. Couple that with what Terps fans saw the first two and a half games of this season, and it is not out of the question to think that by this time next year it is possible that the Terps will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. This notion will be ignited even further if the Terps manage to win at least one of their remaining games, but the biggest thing to take away from this season is that despite all of the turmoil the Terps seem to be headed in the right direction.

All of these "What If's" cloud the fact that DJ Durkin and his staff have done an amazing job with this roster this season despite all of the injuries.  The perceived potential brought about by the Texas win shows that this program is ready for upward movement into the realm of the Big Ten elites. For now, though, Terps fans must wallow in that potential of what could have been this season, and revel in the idea of what that potential could bring down the road.  All of it is drive by the question "What If..?".  It is the "What If" that got the Terps to this point, and one that will be personified on the visitor sideline come Thanksgiving Weekend.  It is the "What If's" that will define the lost potential of this season no matter how it ends.  And it is the "What If's" that give Terps fans a glimmer of hope for the future.