We have found ourselves approaching week 9, and the Indiana Hoosiers find themselves still without a victory in the Big Ten.
The silver lining? The upcoming matchup against Maryland is far and away the best chance for Tom Allen and his squad to get their first win in Big Ten play. That isn't a shot at Maryland in any way; it's a testament to Indiana's gauntlet of a schedule up to this point.
The Terrapins (4-3,1-3) got off to a hot start playing a relatively soft schedule, taking their first four, including wins over West Virginia and Illinois. According to AP, Maryland entered their week five matchup on the outside, looking in at the top 25, receiving 91 votes to be included among the nation's best teams.
Iowa beat the brakes off Maryland 51-14 in an unexpected blowout. The Terrapins entered that game as just three-point underdogs. Since then, they have dropped their last two games by a combined score of 100-33, with losses to Ohio State and Minnesota. So, they may be looking at Indiana in the same way the Hoosiers are looking at Maryland: A break in their schedule.
Mike Locksley was hired as head coach of the Terrapins in December of 2018 after leading the Alabama offense under Nick Saban. As Maryland's head coach, Locksley is 9-15 (2-3 in 2020) and was looking at his best season at the helm until this recent slide. The last time the two teams met, Indiana took a 34-28 win on the road in Maryland during coach Locksley's first year.
Here are some key players, notes, and stats to look out for on Saturday afternoon in College Park.
