Of the nine possible Bowl game destinations for the Maryland Terrapins, the team will be heading to the Military Bowl, the eighth choice among Bowls involving ACC teams. But here's the thing. Maryland finished the season tied for third in the ACC. So how come they fell so far?
With lower ranked teams like Clemson and Georgia Tech travling to more prestigious Bowl games, the Terrapins have good reason to be somewhat upset. Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson spoke to Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun.
Maryland AD Kevin Anderson on bowl outcome: "We're disappointed in the process. We're disappointed in the way things were determined."
With the Military Bowl seeking a local team to help drive up ticket sales at RFK Stadium, it's entirely possible that Maryland could have won two fewer games and still played in the same Bowl. As long as Maryland was bowl eligible at six wins or more, the school was always going to be a desireable choice for the Military Bowl.
The Bowl got its wish. Maryland did not.