Though Maryland's schedule began with two soft opponents and a double overtime victory on the road at Central Florida, the nonconference slate leading into a nine-game conference schedule couldn't have gone much better for Maryland.
Two blowout wins against Howard and Florida International allowed the Terps to empty their bench, play 14 true freshmen and figure out which depth pieces may be able to help them in conference play. Maryland isn't a deep team on either side of the ball, but exposure for its younger, less experienced players may help the Terps when injuries inevitably crop up.
The Terps' 30-24 victory at Central Florida was the kind of game Maryland needed as a warm up for Big Ten play. The Terps and Knights played a physical contest in what is aptly known as the "bounce house" in Orlando, Fla., and Maryland will be forced to play against more physical front sevens than the one UCF posed in the future.
