FanHouse IsiahWilliams

It's barely spring here in the Midwest but spring football is well under way, and there's abundant intrigue in the Big Ten conference. Coming off what seems like the 46th consecutive disappointing bowl season, including a Rose Bowl where Penn State's Daryll Clark (right) did his best but the Nittany Lions still couldn't beat Southern Cal, nobody will be expecting much from the conference or its teams when fall rolls around. Somebody has to win it, however, and now is when the jockeying for position really begins.

1. James Laurinaitis, LB, THE Ohio State University: I hope Laurinaitis is ready for the backlash, because after we all decide we're sick of being sick of hearing about T** T***w, Laurinaitis is probably next on our scorn list. Pity. In a league that always has a sampler platter of great linebackers, Laurinaitis is a standout among the standouts, and there isn't much left for him to accomplish. He already has a Nagurski Award and a Butkus Award to go along with more conference-based awards than just about any defensive player ever. So, yeah, he's pretty good, even if we're all going to be sick of hearing Brent Musberger talk about him by, say, late September. Or at least we would be, if not for all the time Musberger is sure to spend talking about ...

2. Beanie Wells, RB, THE Ohio State University: This guy must be part cyborg. At 6'1" and somewhere in the 230s, he's just another prototypical Buckeye running back. You know the type. Big, not overly flashy, and about as easy to tackle as a 40-foot oak tree. Wells, however, has that magical 6th gear, the one that changes the sound of his motor from "vroooooom" to "Oh no you don't!" Wells is on every Heisman watch list out there; if anybody can knock off T** T***w, here he is.

This game was really over from the first Maryland fumble returned for a TD. The second one on the very next drive just locked it away. That turnover free ball Maryland was playing during their wins failed to make an appearance on a day there were two fumbles returned for TDs, one interception returned for a TD, and another interception in BC's end zone that took away any chance for points for Maryland.

The defense allowed two passing TDs to BC, but I'm not going to really focus on that. It was 14-0 all on the offense before the defense gave up points. When there were drives when the defense gave the offense a chance, the offense just took that chance and threw it away. Teams can't win on the road with four turnovers, especially when three of them result in points -- 21 points. You take away those three scores, and it's a close game. That's it right there. BC played a great game. I'm not taking anything away from them. But if Maryland was more careful with the ball, it would have been a more exciting game for everyone.

The loss of Darrius Heyward-Bey during the very last play of the second quarter hurt as well. I'm not saying that the Terps would have mounted that insurmountable comeback with Darrius in the line-up, but four dropped passes in the end-zone from Isiah Williams, Danny Oquendo, and Nolan Carroll showed us what an asset Heyward-Bey really is. Those passes should have been caught and it could at least have given us a more exciting game towards the end. Hollenbach was making perfect throws in the end zond, save the interception obviously. Those were catches I think Darrius would have made.

The WashingtonPost.com did a little piece on current Maryland tight end Joey Haynos. Out of all the players on the Terps who have big shoes to fill, there's little doubt that Haynos has the biggest -- followed by maybe middle linebacker Wesley Jefferson. Vernon Davis was Maryland's go to guy last year and was electric while doing it. He lit up Byrd Stadium -- it's a get it? lit up? electricity? nevermind -- and he left early to be drafted sixth overall by the San Francisco 49ers. While at Maryland, though, he gave the Terp fans something to look for each and every game. That excitement may be gone, but Maryland's efficiency at tight end isn't.

Haynos has the most receptions (13) on the Terps, and his total receiving yardage (148) is only ten behind team leader Isiah Williams. Quarterback Sam Hollenbach feels comfortable with Haynos and will often check to the big guy when the young receiving core can't get open. The tight end is a key player in Friedgen's offense, an offense that is very run oriented with the offense grounding it out and an offense that won't take too many risks during a game. When too much pressure breaks down the pass protection, Hollenbach will often have to look for Haynos to quickly unload the ball.

Haynos big role in the passing game and stepping up to task of replacing Vernon Davis has endeared him to the fans. Shirts that read "Haynos is My Homeboy" can be seen in Byrd Stadium. Haynos is a relatively humble guy who found his way to Maryland because a scout was visiting his high school to scout a teammate. The scout told him he should try to walk on at Maryland. Haynos did and eventually earned himself a scholarship.

As Maryland starts on their tough road ahead, Joey Haynos should have a bigger role as Maryland faces tougher defenses who can get to Hollenbach quicker. Hopefully, the return of receiver Drew Weatherly can open up the receiving core more to allow the offense to start kicking. If Haynos is the only option, the Terps will not be able to get many wins. However, as one of a few good options, Haynos can play a good role grinding out crucial short yard plays.

Vernon Davis may be gone. He's in the NFL now and sidelined for four weeks because of a hamstring injury. The Terps have done pretty well in the tight end department since his departure -- with the help of our homeboy, Joey Haynos.

I know Maryland fans. Most of them have short attention spans. It's what the team does now. I understand that to a degree, but part of being a fan is taking the bad with the good. I understand Lions fans and Oriole fans giving up on their team. They haven't had good seasons in ages. Maryland fans should show a little more patience though. They're ready to give up the second things go wrong. Now, I know things have been going wrong the last two years, but the season is still young and things can turn around.

So I ask you not to jump off the Fridge bandwagon right now, even if you think the wagon's going no where, and the band is playing crappy music -- Nickleback maybe. Even since they started to lose, fans started turning on Friedgen. First, Fridge's recriuting first came under fire. Honestly, i haven't come up with an official opinion about this. One on hand it seems his players are being out played, and recruiting a guy like Joel Statham didn't help. On the other, he did recruit Vernon Davis and Shawn Merriman, who were so good they left for the NFL early. Then his offense came under fire. However, that I can understand. No one should have stuck with Joel Statham for that long. Now, the defense is the next target. Before you completely give up on the Terps, I'm going to try to convince you to not to jump just yet. Give them one more season. They just may turn it around.

Their offense is looking better than it did the last two years. West Virginia isn't ranked #5 because of their defense. None-the-less, Maryland did a pretty good job scoring on them. The running game has a very nice double headed monster. Lance Ball is a big man, 5'9" & 216 lbs, who is tough to stop when he gets rolling. Keon Lattimore, 5'11" & 220, is back to form since a shoulder injury and is running with passion. The Fridge can throw these guys in and out when he feels to keep them rested. The big offensive line will push some teams around and these guys will find the end zone.

The passing game looks the best it has since Scott McBrien graduated. The receiving core is young, but as they mature, they're going to really start clicking. Darrius Heyward-Bey, a former high school track star, is really fast. Danny Oquend and Isiah Williams have already stepped and made plays.

As for the defense, they have some work to do. But I believe they have the players to do so. This secondary was one of the tops in the nation last year -- bad recruiting? Really? It always takes a little time for players to adjust to a new coach. Chris Cosh may not be as successful as Gary Blackney, but I expect the defense to get better over time.

In fact, this team should be give some time on a whole. They have a young receiving core, a quarterback that, for the first time in his career, doesn't have to look over his shoulder to see if he's going to be taken out of the game, and two out of three running backs are coming back from injuries -- Lattimore and Josh Allen.

So, don't rough up your knees rolling off the bandwagon if you don't have to. Wait for the season. Let them go through ACC play, which shouldn't be impossible. Then, if they blow it, do what you want. That would make three bad seasons to follow three good ones. If they do well, they you'll be glad you stuck with it. You can even be one of the few Maryland fans that said "I was with them with the bad" -- I'm talking students over alumni when I allude to the fair weather attitdue. If you jump off now though, and they do turn it around, that's too bad. Because it's not turning around to pick you back up -- well, it wouldn't if I were driving.