The Maryland Terrapins are still getting respect from BCS voters, even though the team still falls well short of the necessary votes required to break into the Top 25. Following a come from behind 38-31 victory over N.C. State, Maryland received 29 votes from media members throughout the country, all ranking the Terrapins anywhere from 23rd to 25th in the poll. This upsurge in voting demonstrates how a victory over a perceived "good" team can be lift to an aspirant's fortunes, though the Terrapins will likely be kicking themselves over its loss to Florida State for weeks to come.
The focus now shifts to the Bowl invite where the situation still remains cloudy. Maryland still remains one of the front runners for the Champs Sports Bowl or the Sun Bowl as the victory over N.C. State has heightened the team's standing within the ACC. Were the Terrapins to receive an invite to one of these higher profile Bowl games and win convincingly (especially if it were over a team with a nationwide following such as Notre Dame) and crazy things were to happen in the other Bowl games, Maryland might still have a shot to break into the Top 25 when all is said and done. A man can dream.