Maryland vs. Ohio State matchups: Is this Randy Edsall's last shot to defeat a ranked opponent?

The Maryland Terrapins come into this game against the Ohio State Buckeyes as major underdogs. They face a loaded offense that has Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and Braxton Miller and a defense that is no slouch either. The Terps will have their work cut out for them in this road game. Here are the three most important matchups:

Ezekiel Elliott vs Maryland's Rush Defense

Elliott, who was the bell cow for the Buckeyes in their national championship run last season, already has 729 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. Let's face it: This guy is a monster. Maryland's defense is giving up an average of 162.6 rushing yards per game. Those two factors add up to Elliott potentially having a big game on Saturday against the Terps. The Maryland defense is going to have to find a way to contain him but they're not going to be able to shut him down completely. The containment starts up front at the line of scrimmage. If the Terps can win there, they'll have a good chance at slowing him down.

Maryland's quarterback(s) vs Ohio State's defense

Maryland's quarterback position throughout the season has been inconsistent at best. So much so that head coach Randy Edsall is not making a decision on who will start until Saturday. Ohio State's defense is no joke. Whoever the quarterback will be in this game, they will need to start fast and take control of the flow and tempo of the game. This can't be a situation where a quarterback struggles mightily and then the Terps make a change if they want any shot at remaining competitive.

Randy Edsall vs. a highly ranked opponent

Randy Edsall is 0-11 against ranked teams during his tenure at Maryland. It's probably one of the reasons why he might be dismissed as Maryland's football coach following the game on Saturday. Can Edsall pull off an extremely improbable win against the defending national champs and potentially save his job, even if it's just for a week? Or will Maryland perform as they have in most games against highly ranked opponents under Edsall and suffer a third consecutive embarrassing loss?