by DCist Contributor Brett Gellman

It’s hard to imagine that Maryland was two wins away from potentially playing in the Orange Bowl in sunny Miami. It’s also equally hard to imagine that the team would be shipped out West to play on the infamous blue turf of Boise State University in the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl.

Yet the worst case scenario transpired as the Terps dropped its last two games of the season to Florida State and Boston College, ultimately finishing with a 4-4 record in the ACC — and tickets to Idaho.

While five teams in the conference finished their season with an identical record as the Terps, Maryland had no other choice except to play in Boise. The bid for the inaugural EagleBank Bowl — which would have meant home-field advantage for all intents and purposes — was ruled out by Maryland’s final exame schedule. And the Terps participated in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco a year ago.

Even with so many teams competing for bowl pecking order, the notion of competition, at least in the ACC, is a little preposterous. Clemson was invited to the prestigious Gator Bowl with a paltry 6-5 record. That didn’t sit too well with Florida State fans, as the Seminoles had a better overall resume. Unfortunately for the ‘Noles, money — not your record — is what ultimately counts, and Clemson is known for their well-traveling fan base.

As for today’s game, scheduled for a 4:30pm ET kickoff, the Terps (7-5, 4-4 ACC) will be taking on the Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5, 5-3 WAC) of the WAC Conference in what will (thankfully) be the ACC’s final game in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Photo by Hi I’m Chris