Memorable in all the worst ways

The 2011 season has been one of a series of seemingly endless lows for the Terrapins football team. It's lost key starters, winnable games and possibly the attention of an already restless fan base.

But Saturday's 28-17 loss to Boston College made it official: The Terps have hit rock bottom.

No, nothing this year can compare to the miserable game the Terps played against the Eagles. Not the heart-breaking loss to West Virginia, not the blowout at the hands of Temple.

In a season of terrible losses, this is the worst.

Players and coaches entered the year talking about how they could achieve their ultimate goal of an ACC Championship. Saturday proved the Terps aren't even in the middle of the pack. They are the worst team in the ACC.

In the season the Terps were supposed to go "from good to great," they've instead taken a massive step back.

It would be bad enough losing to Boston College, which had beaten only FCS program Massachusetts before Saturday. But to get blown out by the Eagles — in your own stadium? Honestly? Wow.

Both quarterbacks played. Both were bad. The defense allowed nearly 400 rushing yards to a team missing its top back, more than it allowed against Georgia Tech's vaunted triple option.

At times this year, the Terps have looked outmatched from a talent level. In other games, they looked like they were simply overlooking their opponent. It's hard to say what the problem was Saturday. The Terps looked like they cared, and on paper, they're more talented than Boston College.

So do the troubles start at the top? It's hard to make any real judgment of Edsall after only one year. Even so, it's impossible not to be concerned at this point. Sure, this team came into the year without some of last season's best players. But did the Terps lose enough to go from 9-4 to fighting for a third win? Enough to go from defeating Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., to getting beaten badly in College Park?

Some bumps in the road were to be expected in Edsall's first season — but nothing of this magnitude. There's no excuse for a showing like the one at Byrd Stadium on Saturday.

The Terps have defeated only one FBS foe this year. The last time that happened was 2009, when the Terps went 2-10. This year is starting to smell a lot like that debacle.

"Obviously, it didn't turn out the way we wanted to today," Edsall said. "So we'll just make sure that we look at the film and watch the film and see where we can get better."

Ah, yes, film. Edsall loves to talk about the stuff. His answer to just about every question includes "I need to watch the film." But he's had more than half a season of film on a team that has been perplexingly bad for most of the year, and he still hasn't been able to make the adjustments. Did he not see enough of the Eagles' film to lead his team to a victory over the dregs of the ACC?

As unbelievable as it may sound, the Terps actually are still alive for a bowl game. They'd have to win out. Still, it's possible.

But if they couldn't beat Boston College, what are their chances against anyone else?

schneider@umdbk.com