Re: College Football IV: The Hand over Fist Cash Grab Time, or Bowl Season for short.
Alternate explanation:
1) Maryland believes it's too hard for them to get beyond 3 and 4 star recruits. I don't know how Friedgen was as a recruiter, but they may believe that Maryland isn't big enough of a name these days to really compete hardcore for the best recruits.
2) Randy Edsall has a reputation for recruiting under the radar types and "overcoaching" them into top flight players, c.f. Tyvon Branch, Darius Butler, Donald Brown, Will Beatty, Donald Thomas, and the handful of others still playing Sundays who've come out of Storrs in the last few years but who were mostly 1 and 2 star recruits out of HS (I don't think he's really taking much credit for Dan "Safety Dance" Orlovsky anymore, though).
3) Maryland combines Edsall's talent at "coaching up" with Maryland's own (generally stronger than UConn's) recruit base and puts together a team that will be competitive with those whose recruiting is head and shoulders above them.
Of course, we'll have to see results on the field before this would be proven, but even if Edsall's only good for one more win a year, that pays significant dividends, as research indicates that would've gotten Maryland 3 appearances in the ACCCG, 2 more pre-CG BCS appearances, and two more bowl eligible seasons in the last 9 (as ESPN's archived standings only go back to '02).
Alternate explanation:
1) Maryland believes it's too hard for them to get beyond 3 and 4 star recruits. I don't know how Friedgen was as a recruiter, but they may believe that Maryland isn't big enough of a name these days to really compete hardcore for the best recruits.
2) Randy Edsall has a reputation for recruiting under the radar types and "overcoaching" them into top flight players, c.f. Tyvon Branch, Darius Butler, Donald Brown, Will Beatty, Donald Thomas, and the handful of others still playing Sundays who've come out of Storrs in the last few years but who were mostly 1 and 2 star recruits out of HS (I don't think he's really taking much credit for Dan "Safety Dance" Orlovsky anymore, though).
3) Maryland combines Edsall's talent at "coaching up" with Maryland's own (generally stronger than UConn's) recruit base and puts together a team that will be competitive with those whose recruiting is head and shoulders above them.
Of course, we'll have to see results on the field before this would be proven, but even if Edsall's only good for one more win a year, that pays significant dividends, as research indicates that would've gotten Maryland 3 appearances in the ACCCG, 2 more pre-CG BCS appearances, and two more bowl eligible seasons in the last 9 (as ESPN's archived standings only go back to '02).
