The 1953 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 1953 college football season in its first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Maryland outscored its opponents 298–38 and recorded six defensive shutouts. Jim Tatum served as the head coach for the seventh year of his nine-year tenure. In the postseason, Maryland lost to Oklahoma in the 1954 Orange Bowl. The team was selected national champion by Associated Press, International News Service, and United Press International, leading to a consensus national champion designation.