The college football universe has been abuzz this week with rumors that Texas A&M would leave the Big 12 to join the SEC, which would be yet another step toward major super conferences taking over the college game. Of course, if the SEC were to grab the Aggies, that would give them 13 teams, and they would strongly desire a 14th addition to balance the conference. Rumors have quickly spread indicating Florida State, ACC members for the past two decades, might be a logical candidate to join Texas A&M in leaping to arguably the country's toughest conference, though both the University president and ACC commissioner deny any such move will be taking place.
Well, what does this all mean for Maryland? Obviously, these conference defections are all rumor and conjecture, at least until Monday when Texas A&M might tell the Texas Board of Regents "Sayonara, we're headed to the SEC." If the Aggies indeed jump, other dominoes will certainly fall, and the ACC will most likely lose one team, or perhaps even more if the SEC wanted to be a 16 team conference. That would leave the Terrapins in a dismantled ACC, an ACC now lacking it's marquee programs (if say Miami and Clemson were to also follow the Seminoles).
All is not lost though Maryland followers; remember, the Terrapins have been a sought after commodity by not one but two other conferences looking to go the "super" route: the Big 10 and the Big East. If their hand was forced by ACC defections, the Terrapins at least seem to have an opportunity to make a move of their own and not have to remain in whatever would be left of the ACC. Come on now, wouldn't you be a little bit excited to take down the Ohio State Buckeyes at Byrd Stadium?