The Big Ten Conference became the “Big 14” in 2014, as Maryland and Rutgers joined from the ACC and American, respectively. It was always going to be interesting to see how the two football squads competed against new opponents, and also how the East Coast welcomes a league with a history of institutions located in the Great Lakes region. So how did the Terrapins & Scarlet Knights fare in football season #1?

Maryland went 7-5 in 2014, finishing 3rd in the Big Ten East with a 4-4 league record. The Terrapins started conference play with a solid win at Indiana, and came from behind in road victories at both Penn State and Michigan. Three of those four league losses were by more than 20 points, although they were against the three best teams: Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. C.J. Brown accounted for 20 touchdowns, while wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught five touchdowns; Diggs, however, was first suspended one game for his involvement in a pre-game incident at Penn State, then was declared out for the season after suffering a lacerated kidney. The wide receiver may return for a bowl game.

Rutgers also went 7-5 overall this season, going 3-5 in conference play. After winning five of its first six games to start 2014, including a  rally against Michigan, the Scarlet Knights struggled from mid-October through the end of the year. It didn’t help that they faced Ohio State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin in a three-week span, but Rutgers did outscore Maryland 24-3 in the second half to win the meeting between the two league debutants and close its season with a victory. Gary Nova threw for 20 touchdowns (four TD passes each in three separate games), while head coach Kyle Flood, who led the team to bowl games in his first two years, will hope he can become 3-for-3, and get a first bowl win.

Also, even though they’ve been in the Big Ten longer, Nebraska is still “new” compared to most of the other schools. It’s been four years since the Cornhuskers announced they were leaving the Big 12, meaning this year’s seniors who redshirted in 2010 didn’t play, but did experience the atmosphere of that conference. Nebraska has gone 22-10 in Big Ten regular-season play, winning the Legends Division in 2012. However, head coach Bo Pelini was fired Sunday; the school has already named the replacement, although Mike Riley will not coach in the bowl game.

Both the Terrapins & Scarlet Knights are bowl-eligible, but the league office has sent a memo saying there is a possibility that either or both teams (and Illinois, too) could miss out on a 13th game this year. Whether that happens or not, both schools had respectable showings as the rookies of the Big Ten, and should provide more good teams in 2015.