After two weeks off, the Terps are finally back in action this week, as they are set to take on No. 12 Indiana in Bloomington. The last time out, the Terps came away with biggest win of the Mike Locksley era, defeating Penn State handily in Happy Valley by a score of 35-19.

TSR went in depth with TheHoosier.com's Paul Gable to get some perspective on the Hoosiers and his thoughts on Saturday's matchup between Maryland and Indiana

This is the best Indiana team we've seen in years. The Hoosiers have shown a lot of strengths, but what's their biggest weakness?

The biggest weakness this season is two-fold and they are both on the offensive side of the football. Indiana's offensive line has struggled many times this season. Granted they played against an amazing front seven last week in Ohio State and did a great job of limiting sacks, but as good as they were in pass blocking is as bad as this unit has been in run blocking. Whether it is schemes or playcalling, the offensive line has struggled and as a result, the Indiana running game has been horrid as of late. The Hoosiers picked up only one yard on the ground last week against Ohio State. Now, granted a snap going over the head of Penix for a 16 yard loss doesn't help, but this unit has struggled all season with running the football. Coach Tom Allen talked about it this week in both his media availability and on his radio show and said the offensive line and rushing attack have to improve. Indiana doesn't need monster yardage, but they have to be able to get more than two yards a carry.

Tom Allen has basically done at IU what Mike Locksley hopes to build at Maryland. What do you think the biggest keys to Allen's success have been?

A couple different things -- a belief that Indiana can and will compete with the powers of the conference and nation, recruiting and player development.

It is no surprise that Indiana's success can be traced back to the fact that the Hoosiers have 22 players from Florida on its roster, however, Allen and his staff have been able to take players who either a) were not highly recruited in high school or b) had quiet starts to their college careers and turn them into household names and some of the premier players in the Big Ten and country. Look no further than Micah McFadden and Ty Fryfogle for proof.

Back to back 5-7 seasons to start Allen's tenure gave this team a hunger and then winning eight games, three of which were on the road last year game them a belief. Beating Penn State in come from behind fashion at home and then dominating Michigan gave this team a belief that they could go out and play with anyone, and that was on display in the second half last week against Ohio State.

There's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into Indiana's rise under Tom Allen but it can all be traced back to belief, the way he cares for his players, recruiting and player development.

Michael Penix Jr. has looked like a special player this season. He's also surrounded by tons of talented skill players. Who is the biggest 'X' factor on offense -- the one guy that side of the ball can't afford to lose?

This is a great question. The obvious choice would be Penix right? I mean he is the quarterback and touches the ball every single play, but for me, if Ty Fryfogle were to be lost, it would hurt this Indiana offense in a drastic way. Fryfogle has become Penix's go-to receiver and has put up video game like numbers this season. Against Ohio State last week, he did it against a sure NFL future player and when it was all said and done, he became the first player in Big Ten history to account for over 200 yard performances in back to back weeks.

The Hoosiers have had some really big and close games recently. Maryland, on the other hand, has been quarantined in a hotel for 2 weeks. How do you see these contrasting situations helping or hurting each team?

Well, Indiana has been battle tested the last few weeks and there is something to be said for getting game reps. Now, the last two games have been against extremely physical teams and the injuries have piled up to a degree for the Hoosiers.

As for Maryland, they have been extremely rested albeit in quarantine and very limited activities. I would anticipate Maryland will be very hungry and at full strength, those who weren't dealing with Covid-19, and will come to Indiana looking to make a statement.

In addition, the Covid-19 shutdown could not have come at a worse time for Maryland, in my opinion, as its offense was soaring with a very talented quarterback, who I believe will give Indiana some fits Saturday.

Maryland has had two weeks to game plan for Indiana, while the Hoosiers have a very small sample size of the Terrapins to comb over. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, but I think there is something to be said for having game reps and enduring being hit without a stoppage.

Indiana's offense gets all the attention, but I know the defense returned a lot of starters from last year and has been impressive in its own right. Who do the Terps need to be aware of most on the defensive side of the ball?

I have said for four weeks now that I thought the defense was, collectively, the strength of this team. The defensive secondary is as fine a unit as any in the country. Guys like Jamar Johnson, Tiawan Mullen, Reese Taylor and Jaylin Williams are all guys Maryland needs to familiarize themselves with. Mullen is hands down one of the best lockdown corners in the country, while Johnson has a knack for being a ballhawk. Taylor and Williams are also able to get takeaways, but what also makes this unit special is its ability to get after the quarterback and account for sacks. Another name to look out for is defensive lineman Jerome Johnson, who had an interception last week. One more standout is Micah McFadden, a middle linebacker, who is the heart and soul of this defense. He doesn't say a whole lot, but is a lunch pail and hard hat kind of player that lets his game do the talking. If he starts picking up tackles and then sacks, look out.

This unit, however, for all its strengths, will be tested this week with by a great quarterback. Last week, Indiana sacked Justin Fields five times but missed eight sacks. They cannot afford another week like that or it will be a long day for the Hoosiers.

What is your prediction for this week? And Why?

I have to be honest, this is a hard game for me to pick. Indiana has not been in a situation like this since last year -- coming into a game they are a favorite in off an emotional, close loss. How will the Hoosiers respond? I honestly believe Tom Allen will have his team ready to go this week and they will be ready to flush last week out of their system.

It will be a huge test between two of the best quarterbacks and offenses in the Big Ten, and I will be interested in seeing the chess match between Maryland's offense and Indiana's defense.

And, let's not forget, this is a game that has come down to one or two possessions in the past, with Indiana picking up a win. Now, how will the two weeks off hurt Maryland? That is anyone's guess, but this is a Maryland team that manhandled Penn State and whipped the Nittany Lions the last time out. However, I keep going back to will the numbers game be too much of a deficit for Maryland to overcome?

I expect it to be a great game for about three quarters before Indiana's depth to play a vital role in this game, especially as it moves along. If Indiana is able to get rolling on offense early like the Hoosiers did against Michigan, they could force a much larger spread but when the dust settles I think Indiana picks up a win and gets back on track but not before Maryland's offense gives them everything they can handle. Indiana gets a takeaway that proves to be the difference.

Indiana 38, Maryland 31