Maryland (4-0, 0-0 ACC) will go on the road and face its toughest test yet in a very good, undefeated Florida State team (4-0, 2-0 ACC) in a battle of Top 25 opponents.

Now that we have entered the month of February, the heart of the ACC schedule is in full swing. While Wednesday’s action features a half-dozen teams in conference play, the main attraction is obviously the rivalry rematch between Duke and Maryland in College Park.

Just days after Ralph Friedgen coached his final game in the Military Bowl at nearby RFK Stadium, University of Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson announced yesterday that former University of Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall will be named Friedgen’s successor.

The Maryland Terrapins, who finished tied for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will not be traveling very far from home in what will be the school’s seventh bowl in Ralph Friedgen’s ten seasons. Instead of heading south to sunny Florida or even somewhat cooler Nashville, the Terps (8-4, 5-3 ACC) will be busing over to nearby RFK Stadium to face East Carolina (6-6, 5-3 CUSA) in the Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman on Wednesday, December 29. Yes, you read that correctly.

If I told you earlier this year that the University of Maryland football team would be playing a prime time game on network television in a race for the ACC’s Atlantic division crown following a 2-10 season, you would likely think I was crazy. Yet lo and behold, Maryland ensured just that last Saturday night against Florida State — while they came out on the losing end in a heartbreaking finish, the Maryland Terrapins (7-4, 4-3 ACC) have provided a remarkable turnaround from last year.

You have to tip your hat to Ralph Friedgen. The University of Maryland’s head football coach has already qualified his team for the school’s seventh bowl in ten seasons. But what is more remarkable is that they achieved this feat before November, while rebounding from a horrendous, school record-worst 2-10 season last year.

Oh, and Friedgen was on the brink of being fired to boot.

As we enter week three of the college football season, one thing has become abundantly clear: the Atlantic Coast Conference is just not very good.

by DCist contributor Brett Gellman

The Coastal Division of the ACC is representing the conference well, as two teams are currently ranked in the Top 25. It’s going to be a real battle between Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), and Georgia Tech to see who will ultimately reach the conference championship game in Tampa Bay.

As for the Atlantic Division? Well, it’s just an utter mess.

Photo by benmiller23.by DCist contributor Brett Gellman Last week couldn’t have gone much worse for the Atlantic Coast Conference. While Virginia Tech more than held their own before falling to Alabama, there was not one marquee win for the conference. In fact, the ACC had just one victory against an FBS school (Clemson defeated Middle Tennessee State at home). To add insult to injury, not one but two teams fell to FCS (née Division…

LSU vs Arkansas: Sure, Arkansas won this nailbiter. And in the leadup to the game, all eyes might have been on Arkansas’s dueling quarterbacks, brothers Casey and Nathan Dick. But the true star to emerge today was LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson. No, his numbers weren’t electric — 9 of 21 for 143 yards and 2 touchdown passes — but they’re downright remarkable for a true freshman. Jefferson ran for a respectable 50 yards and, moreover,…