I'm sure some people have been wondering about this - Patrick Stevens, for one. Why on earth hasn't UMD played Duke in football the past two years? Or this year? Why is it that the Terps are begrudged that almost certainly automatic win over the consistent bottom-feeder of the ACC? Is it a conspiracy? Or something less...diabolical?
Fridge had this to say at the ACC Media Days on the topic:
I don’t play Duke until 2010 [ed.'s note: actually, it's 2009, Ralph], and by then David [Cutcliffe] will have them as national contenders. Like Rutgers, right? I get Rutgers last year, they’re ranked eighth [sorry Ralph, they were tenth]. I want to know how come I get that? I played Virginia Tech three times. I haven’t played Duke once. I want to know how that one’s going around.
Yes, the Fridge makes a good point. In case anyone was wondering how this indeed happened, here's the story. When the ACC expanded fully in 2005, MD drew an unlucky card - they got VT instead of Duke in the first year, with the dual-division system. Then, the rotation system began. Basically, besides the "cross-division rival" UVA, every team we'd play twice in a row - one home, one away - and then move on to the next one. And again, unlucky - the Terps ended up with Duke last in the rotation. Of course, it's Maryland with the bad luck. Well, at least we're used to it by now.