Finally, this is REALLY what college football is supposed to be like.

It's a Saturday afternoon with sunny skies and for the first time this year, a real opponent for the Scarlet Knights.

It'll take something unexpected to make this one a real nail-biter, but with Maryland in the house, at the very least, this one will be a heckuva lot closer than the game was the last time we were here, when the Knights blasted Division I-AA Norfolk State 59-0.

The Terps blew a 24-3 lead last week and lost a heartbreaker to Wake Forest in their ACC opener. They're 2-2 on the year, with wins coming against Villanova and Florida International and losses to the Deamon Deacons and West Virginia.

They're one of only five teams in the country that plays two top 10 teams this year, although the Mountaineers are likely to fall out of the top 10 after last night's loss to South Florida.

Maryland is well-coached (Ralph Friedgen is one of only two coaches in ACC history to win 50 games over his first six years) and have the ninth-best pass defense in the country, which poses an interesting challenge for the Knights, who lead the country in pass efficiency.

Another matchup to watch is the Rutgers defensive line -- which for the first time all year, is completely healthy with Pete Tverdov back in the starting lineup -- against the Maryland offensive line.

The Terps have allowed 16 sacks this year, which is 16 more than the Rutgers offensive line has allowed.

Maryland also has a pretty formidable rushing offense, with two good tailbacks: Keon Lattimore (102. 3 yards per game) and Teaneck's Lance Ball, who was recruited by Rutgers and needs just 110 rushing yards to reach 2,000 for his career.

I'll check back in before the game with any last-minute depth chart changes. Until then, enjoy whatever college football or baseball (if you have the stomach to watch the Mets) you've got on the tube.