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Bowl Projections: Does Maryland Still Have A Shot At The ACC Title Game?

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Short Answer: Yes

Long Answer: Well, it isn't exactly that easy ...

Not much actually changed for the Terps this weekend. They started out Saturday tied with North Carolina St. just a half game behind Florida St. in the ACC Atlantic Division. On this beautiful Monday morning, that's exactly where they still sit. Maryland beat Virginia, Florida St. beat Clemson, and North Carolina St. beat up on Wake Forest. Three up, three down.

The only difference is that with their loss, Clemson now has two more losses than Maryland. This is important because with two games left, there was a still a chance that Clemson could overtake the Terps in the standings because they beat them. Clemson now does not have a chance to overtake Maryland because of their two games left, only one is in conference. It doesn't mean anything for their chances at the ACC Title game, but it does raise the safety net a little bit in case they fail to make it. 

In terms of the ACC Title game, the Terps still have to win out if they want to make it. That means beating a Florida St. team that just beat a team that the Terps have already lost to, and a North Carolina St. team that has one of the best players in the conference under center at quarterback.

I still have trouble believing that the Terps win both of those games. They are both at home, but those are two very good teams, and Maryland has struggled a little bit against better quality opponents. They looked really good against Virginia on Saturday, but these two teams are different animals.

The Projection: If Maryland doesn't make it to the title game, that means they finished in at least second in the division, and potentially right around fourth in the conference as a whole. That still puts them in a game like the Meineke Car Care Bowl or the Music City Bowl. Things can change over the next few weeks, but I believe that those two are the leaders in the clubhouse.