Coach Ralph Friedgen has taken Maryland to another level (namely, an ACC title).

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While the Miami-Syracuse game turned out to be total domination by the Hurricanes, a number of other riveting Saturday battles stretched deep into the fourth quarter before being decided.

In the most dramatic victory of the day, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen showed the college football world why he is so deserving of national Coach of the Year honors.

The Terrapins got down 9-0 but cut it to 9-3 at the half; then they had to overcome a 19-16 North Carolina State lead on the road late in the fourth quarter.

In such hostile surroundings and with so much at stake, Maryland wasn't able to bring its "A" game, yet still managed to pull out what could be the greatest win in school football history.

The Terps not only finished the regular season 10-1 and locked up a spot in the BCS (likely either the Orange Bowl or Sugar Bowl) but also captured the undisputed ACC title for the first time since 1985. Ironically, Friedgen served that season as offensive coordinator for Bobby Ross.

And all this with a first-time head coach who was able to incorporate only about 60 percent of his complex, sophisticated playbook.

Friedgen motivated his players, identified a star in RB Bruce Perry (who had worked in the defensive secondary with the previous regime), shifted Matt Murphy permanently from DE to TE, and was able to instill a confidence level on his team that allowed it to deal with success as well as adversity.

The Terps didn't have a letdown after pivotal victories over North Carolina and Georgia Tech. And they were able to bounce back from a loss to Florida State with a dominating 47-14 victory over a Troy State squad that had battled Nebraska and Miami for a half and beat Mississippi State at Starkville.

What impresses me about Friedgen is his ability to maximize the skill level of just about every player. A gifted standout such as junior LB E.J. Henderson was able to elevate his play to Butkus Award level and make his mark as one of the top defensive players in the nation. Senior QB Shaun Hill developed into a competent signal caller, while Perry was able to make up for the graduation loss of standout RB Lamont Jordan.

What impresses me about Ralph Friedgen is his ability to maximize the skill level of just about every player.

And how about redshirt freshman kicker Nick Novak. He struggled mightily early, going just 4-of-10 on field goals over the first five games (with a career long of 33 yards). But Novak proved to be a key factor in the Terrapins' success down the stretch.

In the season's final six games, Novak hit on 12-of-14 field-goal attempts while setting a school record with 41 PATs.

In pressure situations, Novak responded like a champion, hitting the game-tying and game-winning kicks in overtime against Georgia Tech, while connecting on 51- and 50-yarders to end the first half against Florida State and Troy State, respectively. His only two misses in the last six games were a 50-yarder against Duke that hit the upright and a 62-yarder against Clemson that was on target but fell a few yards short.

Stars of the Week
As for the stars of the week, there were many -- but don't overlook the performances of Georgia RB Verron Haynes and Hawaii's QB-WR combo of Nick Rolovich and Ashley Lelie.

Haynes (a 5-foot-10, 225-pound big back) became the focal point of the Bulldogs' rushing attack in their 35-15 victory over QB Eli Manning and Ole Miss. Haynes carried the ball 26 times for 192 yards (7.4 yards per carry), with TD runs of 13 and 26 yards. A dedicated, focused and extremely hard-working player, Haynes impressed me with his combination of power and quickness.

Rolovich completed 40-of-53 passes for 500 yards and seven TDs in the Rainbow Warriors' thrilling 52-51 victory at Aloha Stadium over Miami (Ohio). Rolovich has been fortunate to have a gifted junior wideout in the underrated Lelie to go to in key situations. A supremely talented 6-3, 181-pound junior, Lelie hauled in six receptions for 210 yards and three TDs vs. Miami (Ohio).