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The one part of the pre-season media poll in the ACC that raised my eyebrows was the selection of Maryland at fourth in its division, ahead of N.C. State. Granted, quibbling between fourth or fifth in a division isn't really necessary, but given the Terps' back-to-back 5-6 seasons, as well as the trouble they've had in recruiting, it seemed strange to me to predict that Maryland would finish ahead of State.

This article in the Washington Post may explain a great deal of it. It looks like folks are willing to still consider Ralph Friedgen a mastermind, despite the last two seasons. The changes he's made - dealing with sleep apnea and taking over as offensive coordinator - have apparently convinced people that the Terps can rebound.

What's interesting is that Ralph's career arc has been very similar to that of Chuck Amato. Both came into their programs and made immediate impacts. Both have taken steps back in recent years. Given those similarities, you'd have to consider the selection of Maryland over State in the polls as a referendum on the two coaches. Clearly, media members think more of Ralph than Chuck.

Maybe that's purely due to Xs and Os prowess, but I can't help but wonder if personality plays a role in that voting as well. I think it's fair to say that some members of the media would like to see Friedgen rebound, while they'd also like to see Chuck stumble.