Maryland's first season in the Big Ten ended with a whimper Tuesday night, falling to Stanford 45-21 in the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl. It was the Terps' second straight bowl game under Randy Edsall (a feat not achieved since 2007-08), but a pair of postseason losses by sizable margins and back-to-back seven-win seasons leaves some questions about the future.

We'll have more coverage of the season as a whole and looking forward throughout the next few months. As a general preview of next season, however, here are the questions I've identified as the most important heading into the offseason.

1) How far along will the blue-chip offensive linemen be?

One of Maryland's most glaring weaknesses in 2014 was on the offensive line, a positional unit that has been a problem throughout Edsall's tenure. The signings of local blue-chippers Damian Prince and Derwin Gray provided some hope for instant improvement, but the Terps decided to redshirt both of them. That means they've spent a year studying the offense and going through training, and their readiness next season could be the difference in Maryland's offensive success. An offense functions better in every single way with a competent offensive line, and adding two pieces like those could signal a major shift in their ability to handle Big Ten defensive lines.

2) What will the Caleb Rowe era look like?

Another guy that could be the difference for the offense's success! Rowe had mixed results in limited playing time this season, playing well against West Virginia (on three pass attempts) and Indiana while struggling against James Madison and Ohio State (he did relatively well besides his three interceptions). It's possible that Perry Hills or Shane Cockerille (or heck, Gage Shaffer) could challenge Rowe for the job, but he's the overwhelming favorite for the position.

Rowe's strength comes in his cannon arm, and with Maryland's group of very talented receivers it would make sense to see a more pass-heavy offense. The Terrapins have run the read option with Rowe when he's come in to sub for C.J. Brown, but with him as the full-time quarterback now it might make sense to build the offense more closely around his strengths and weaknesses.

3) How good can the 2016 class be?

We've talked at length about the historic crop of local talent in the Class of 2016, and with good reason. There are a number of high-quality players with Maryland on their short lists, and there's the potential for a program-changing class if everything goes right.

That's still an "if," however. Four-star Good Counsel linebacker Keandre Jones and three-star DeMatha running back Lorenzo Harrison are the only players who have publicly committed to the Terrapins, and it's a long way until Signing Day in 2016. Maryland needs to continue their momentum on the field and off to grab the kind of elite talent available in the area, like quarterback Dwayne Haskins, wide receivers Trevon Diggs and Tino Ellis and linemen Jauan Williams, Terrell Hall and Richard Merritt .

4) Who replaces the departing front seven players?

One of the most jarring issues in the final two games of the season for Maryland was the complete collapse of the defense. The unit had outplayed the offense for much of the season, helping win important games against Iowa, Penn State and Michigan, but looked absolutely awful against Rutgers and Stanford. A number of players, specifically in the front seven, graduate from that unit, so we'll be seeing a lot of new faces on defense (for better or worse).

At nose tackle, David Shaw and Kingsley Opara are likely the favorites to replace Darius Kilgo, but true freshmen Adam McLean or Keiron Howard could make a run at it. Roman Braglio will almost certainly replace Andre Monroe at defensive end, and Opara could play a role there as well if Shaw wins the nose tackle job. The oft-injured Matt Robinson graduates at SAM (as does his backup Alex Twine), leaving Cavon Walker (or Jalen Brooks) as the likely starter. At inside linebacker, a pair of either Jermaine Carter, Abner Logan, Brooks and Tyler Burke will get the job. Nearly all of those players are complete unknowns at this point, so their development this offseason is crucial.

As for the returning starters, Quinton Jefferson will come back from injury and almost certainly hold on to a defensive end spot. Yannick Ngakoue has the WILL spot on lockdown, even with Jesse Aniebonam playing well -- do not worry about that position at all.

5) Where does the run game come from without C.J. Brown?

For all his problems as a quarterback, C.J. Brown marked his place in Maryland history as a rusher, leading the team in rushing this year and setting the school record in total touchdowns. While Brandon Ross averaged 5.0 yards per carry and Wes Brown steadily improved as a short-yardage back as the season went on, neither was able to consistently provide yardage on the ground. With a less mobile quarterback under center in Rowe, a larger bulk of the offense is going to fall on their shoulders.

BONUS) Will the safeties provide more help for Will Likely?

We had heard a lot about the improvement of Sean Davis and Anthony Nixon coming into this season, their third playing significant minutes together in the defensive backfield. The two didn't quite break out in the way predicted and were more than a few times singled out on busted defensive plays. The potential is there for both of them, and they've shown glimpses of being a successful tandem, but Maryland needs more support for Likely, a legitimate All-American candidate.