Mike Locksley on the Hot Seat, but Maryland Still Believes

Maryland's season has unraveled since Big Ten play began. The Terrapins have been outscored 147–42 through three conference games, and in Mike Locksley's eighth season in College Park, the questions about his future are only getting louder.

Mark Followill, who calls college football for the Big Ten Network and is the television play-by-play voice of the Dallas Mavericks, has seen Maryland up close this fall. He didn't sugarcoat where things stand.

"There's No Doubt He's on the Hot Seat"

"There's no doubt he's on the hot seat. I don't think there's any question about that. But I talk to these coaches and get a chance to deal with them one-on-one, so I'm never going to advocate for anybody not to be there." — Mark Followill

Injuries Forced Maryland's Hand

"Nobody probably wants to hear this, but they've been hit hard by injuries. I did one of their games when they had one healthy running back, and that was it. They weren't completely healthy at tight end that day, either. They've missed a couple of guys on defense, and they've had other injuries as well." — Mark Followill

He was quick to add that injuries don't buy anyone a pass.

"It's a no-sympathy world, as we know. But when they got behind the eight ball from an injury standpoint, they tried to reconfigure their offense to make some big plays happen. In the UCLA game, they tried to press and force some things, and maybe played some guys out of the roles they were accustomed to. It was a disaster, and there's no hiding that fact." — Mark Followill

Malik Washington and the Penalty Problem

"Malik Washington is still a young quarterback. He's still growing, and they've put a lot on his plate. As a result, he's made some mistakes and hasn't taken care of the ball the way he needed to in some of these recent games, and he's got to do a better job of that." — Mark Followill

Against Nebraska, Maryland played well early but settled for field goals, threw a pick-six and kept extending drives with penalties.

"They've also got to do a better job with discipline and penalties. In the Nebraska game two weeks ago, they committed seven defensive penalties that gave Nebraska a first down. That's tied for the most of any team in the nation in a game this year, and that's just unacceptable. A lot of those were post-snap penalties, too. That ain't going to cut it." — Mark Followill

The same issue showed up last weekend against Ohio State. Maryland forced some turnovers and did a better job protecting the ball, but penalties kept the Buckeyes' drives alive.

The Locker Room Still Believes in Locksley

Even with the losses piling up, Followill said Locksley understands what's at stake and hasn't lost his team.

"I think Mike knows that if they don't get it sorted out in a satisfactory way and get healthy, he's going to be under some intense scrutiny. He knows the questions and scrutiny come with the territory, but he's focused on getting better every week. Based on what I've heard, seen and read, it's a group of guys who are focused on supporting him. They believe in him, they want to get better for him, and they feel like they've got a lot of season left to play." — Mark Followill "It's a results business, and Mike knows that. We'll see what the results the rest of the year mean for his future there. To his credit, he's dealing with it the best he can, and he and the team in the locker room still believe. That's what you hope for. But whether that's going to be enough is up to the folks at Maryland to figure out when the time comes." — Mark Followill

Followill's Maryland vs. Rutgers Prediction

Maryland's next chance to stop the slide comes this weekend at Rutgers, another Big Ten program fighting through a difficult start.

"Man, you've got to be the only person asking for a Maryland-Rutgers prediction. It's a home game for Rutgers, so I'll say the home team wins it. But with all due respect to both teams, I think both coaches know the way those two teams have played lately. Quite frankly, it's going to be a matter of which team doesn't beat themselves." — Mark Followill

He also doesn't expect the result to cost either coach his job.

"I don't think anything is going to happen to either coach after the result of that game. I don't feel like those are situations that warrant those kinds of decisions midseason." — Mark Followill

What Comes Next for Maryland

The path forward is clear, if not easy: get healthy, protect the football and stop giving away free yards. Do that, and Locksley can change the conversation. If not, the scrutiny will only grow.