Terps No. 21 In Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
8/10/2002 8:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
University of Maryland's football team, which was listed in the Associated Press Top 25 for the final eight weeks of the 2001 season, finds itself back in familiar territory as the 2002 season looms, debuting at No. 21 in this season's AP preseason poll.
The Terps, who captured last year's Atlantic Coast Conference title and finished the season 11th in the final AP poll of the year, are one of two ACC teams in the AP preseason Top 25, which was released Saturday. Florida State, which had won or shared every ACC crown since joining the league in 1992 before being dethroned last season by the Terps, is ranked third.
At his introductory press conference in November 2000 when he was named the Terps' head coach, one of Ralph Friedgen's announced goals was "to be a top 20 team, year in and year out."
Friedgen no doubt is pleased with the results so far - the nine consecutive AP Top 25 appearances is the program's longest streak since reeling off nine consecutive showings during the 1984 and '85 seasons - but a preseason ranking does not a season make.
"I'd rather comment on it after the season - that's when it matters," laughed Maryland's second-year head coach when informed of the Terps' ranking shortly after Saturday's afternoon practice session. "It's the beginning of the season; we haven't done anything yet. Let's see where we are at the end, that's when it counts. That's when I'll get excited about it. The poll is going to change in three weeks anyway. If we don't beat Notre Dame, we're not in the Top 25 anymore. If we do, we're still in."
The Terps are ranked 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll, voted on by a panel of coaches. Maryland is ranked 16th by Sports Illustrated.
Terrapin AP Top 25 Notes: Seasons appearing in at least one AP poll: 24 Weeks ranked: 166 First ranking: Nov. 14, 1949 Weeks in Top 10: 78 Current streak: 9 polls (including 2002 preseason)
