Maryland may not fire Mike Locksley because of Penn State, Virginia Tech, UF, Arkansas, UCLA, Oklahoma State

Maryland may not fire Mike Locksley because of Penn State, Virginia Tech, UF, Arkansas, UCLA, Oklahoma State originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Maryland Terrapins football coach Mike Locksley may benefit from a competitive job market. The Penn State Nittany Lion, Virginia Tech Hokies, Florida Gators, Arkansas Razorbacks, UCLA Bruins, and even Oklahoma State Cowboys openings offer more upside.

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde believes that, because of that, the Terps will hold off on firing Locksley despite a three-game slide. Maryland lost 20-17 to the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, 34-31 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 7, and 24-20 to the Washington Huskies in Week 6 to halt a four-game win streak.

“After three straight winning seasons from 2021–23, Locksley and the Terrapins backslid to 4–8 last year. Locksley volunteered that he “lost the locker room” in terms of NIL situations creating a lack of cohesion and vowed to correct it this year. Then came a familiar 4–0 start —the fourth of 3–0 or better in the last five seasons—and familiar October struggles. Maryland has lost three straight by a total of 10 point, getting outscored 44–7 in the fourth quarter of those games,” Forde wrote.

“Locksley has been a serviceable coach, but a desire for something different is understandable at this point. Problem being, this will be an incredibly competitive hiring market, with so many jobs coming open. Does Maryland have the willingness and the cash to take swings in this climate?”

The Big Ten is becoming the “it” conference in college football. Coming off two national championships, and with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, and Oregon Ducks looking like they can give the B1G a three-peat, SEC supremacy in the sport has faded in the NIL era.

Maryland is a bottom-tier opening, though. It’s below UCLA in the conference, Virginia Tech in the region, and Penn State in the conference and region.

If Locksley can find two wins among the Hoosiers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan Wolverines, and Michigan State Spartans, he can probably avoid any hot seat talk this offseason.

There are two winnable games from that group on paper, though. If Locksley can't beat Rutgers or Michigan State, a serious conversation needs to be had this offseason, regardless.