Despite the successes this year - which include three wins over ranked teams - the Terps could still end up in the Meineke Car Care Bowl as easily as the Orange Bowl. Which means these next few weeks, the jury will be scrutinizing Friedgen more than ever.
The coach and his team shouldn't be judged on a single loss. But because the program has shown signs of stalling, a verdict of some sort should be expected at season's end.
For the Terps, the season has been marked by nosebleed highs and Xanax lows. In many ways and for many reasons, they're fortunate they can lose to Virginia Tech and still find themselves in the Atlantic Division hunt.
"We still have an opportunity," Friedgen said.
Last night sure suggested that the team hasn't made huge strides since 2004. Friedgen has three games to prove otherwise.
Three games to show the difference between Meineke and Miami.
Three games to show the difference between what the Terps were and what they are, between what they are and what they could be.
The possibilities were all in attendance last night, dressed like 1970s used-car salesmen, watching through a thick pane of glass from high above. They represented the EagleBank Bowl, the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Konica-Minolta Gator Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl.
And they were all wondering the same thing as Terps fans, the same as Friedgen: Just who is this team?
The inexplicable duality of this team can be maddening.
In the end, last night brought another unimpressive performance against another unranked foe, from a Terps team that stops to catch its breath every time it feels even a hint of momentum.
Friedgen says the Terps need to decide what they want to be, which is a distressing challenge this late in the season. You get the sense, though, that we'll find out soon enough. And when we do, the great unveiling will tell us as much about the state of Maryland's football program as it will this team's postseason plans.
