Schedule
The Sagarin computer rating system calculated Maryland's strength of schedule to be 36th-most difficult out of the 245 Division I teams. The Cosgrove Computer Rankings calculated it as the 56th-most difficult out of the 120 Division I FBS teams. In accordance with conference rules, Maryland faced all five Atlantic Division opponents: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, NC State, and Wake Forest. They also faced three Coastal Division opponents: official ACC rival Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech and Boston College were the ACC champions and runners-up, respectively, in 2007 and again in 2008. Maryland did not play ACC opponents Duke, Georgia Tech, and Miami.
Maryland also played four non-conference games. For the season opener, the Terrapins met the 2007 Division I FCS runners-up, Delaware. California of the Pacific-10 Conference was played for the first time in school history as the first half of a home-and-home series. Athletic director Deborah Yow wanted to play one of the University of Maryland's five academic peer institutions, and to take a two-year hiatus from the 28-year series against West Virginia. She said, by adding California, "We weren't trying to add to the degree of difficulty ; we were trying to substitute for West Virginia." Games were also played against Middle Tennessee State of the Sun Belt Conference and Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. For the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl, Maryland played Nevada in the teams' first meeting.
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | 3:45 PM | Delaware* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPNU | W 14–7 | 49,119 | ||
| September 6 | 7:00 PM | at Middle Tennessee* | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | CSS/CSN | L 14–24 | 22,605 | ||
| September 13 | 12:00 PM | #25 California* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN | W 35–27 | 49,527 | ||
| September 20 | 1:00 PM | Eastern Michigan* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ESPN360 | W 51–24 | 48,023 | ||
| September 27 | 12:00 PM | at #19 Clemson | Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC | Raycom | W 20–17 | 81,500 | ||
| October 4 | 7:00 PM | at Virginia | Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA (Rivalry game) | ESPNU | L 0–31 | 50,727 | ||
| October 18 | 12:00 PM | #19 Wake Forest | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD (Blackout game) | Raycom | W 26–0 | 46,257 | ||
| October 25 | 3:30 PM | NC State | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD (Homecoming) | ESPN360 | W 27–24 | 45,018 | ||
| November 6 | 7:30 PM | at Virginia Tech | #21 | Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA | ESPN | L 13–23 | 66,233 | |
| November 15 | 3:30 PM | #17 North Carolina | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | ABC | W 17–15 | 46,113 | ||
| November 22 | 7:45 PM | Florida State | #23 | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD (Senior Night, Blackout game) | ESPN | L 3–37 | 51,620 | |
| November 29 | 3:30 PM | at #22 Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | ABC | L 21–28 | 42,767 | ||
| December 30 | 4:30 PM | vs. Nevada* | Bronco Stadium • Boise, ID (Humanitarian Bowl) | ESPN | W 42–35 | 26,781 | ||
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