It was a little over two years ago when Randy Edsall first debuted as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins. Playing under the lights in a primetime, nationally televised game against conference foe Miami, the Terps’ debut of their state flag-inspired jerseys provided more water cooler talk than the team’s victory against the Hurricanes.

There was a buzz afloat in Byrd Stadium that evening that Edsall, who replaced 2010 ACC Coach of the Year and alumnus Ralph Friedgen, would take the program to new heights. But those emotions only rang true for the very first game of the schedule. Maryland ultimately finished 2-10, which resulted in a mass exodus of players, bad press, and a steep drop in season ticket sales.

And while some media pundits wanted the former University of Connecticut coach sacked with only one season under his belt (as disastrous as it was), Edsall addressed his shortcomings. He replaced both his offensive and defensive coordinators, worked with a PR firm (no, really), and hit the recruiting trail. His reward was a commitment from Stefon Diggs, one of the elite wide receivers in the country and the top player in the state.

Fast forward to 2012. Maryland started the season with a respectable 4-2 start despite playing a true freshman quarterback after incumbent CJ Brown went down in the preseason to a knee injury. But what happened next was one of the oddest if not rarest events in all of college football: the Terps lost a total of four quarterbacks to season-ending injuries. They were forced to play a true freshman linebacker at quarterback and Maryland proceeded to lose the next six games.

And that brings us to Edsall’s third season at Maryland. With a healthy C.J. Brown under center, the Terps’ offense has been on a roll. The team is 4-0 for the first time since 2001 and has been outscoring its opponents by a margin of 159 to 41. And as of this week, the Terps were ranked in the Associated Press poll for the first time since concluding the 2010 season.

And while beating the likes of Connecticut, Old Dominion, and Florida International seems rather unimpressive, the opposite could be said after the Terps shutout border state rival West Virginia in Baltimore a couple weeks ago, 37-0. This was the same Mountaineers team that went on to upset eleventh-ranked Oklahoma State just last week, 30-21.

This Saturday Maryland (4-0, 0-0 ACC) will go on the road and face its toughest test yet in a very good, also undefeated Florida State team (4-0, 2-0 ACC). Freshman quarterback Jameis Winston is second in the country in passing efficiency, completing 67 of his 91 throws while racking up over 1000 yards in the air. It’s fair to say that Maryland has not faced an offense as dynamic as the Seminoles this season.

The same could be said for Florida State as they’ll not only be facing Diggs in coverage, but also junior transfer receiver Deon Long. In fact, Long leads the team in receptions and has kept defenses honest as double-teaming Diggs isn’t something most opponents can afford to do now.

And while Brown, Diggs, and Long pose a three-prong attack on offense, it’s Maryland’s defense that is giving opponents headaches. Maryland ranks sixth in the country in team defense by giving up only 264 yards per game while accumulating an astounding 17 sacks. Credit second year defensive coordinator Brian Stewart for the impressive turnaround despite losing several seniors last season including All-American defensive end Joe Vellano (who now plays for the New England Patriots).

Matchup problems arise, however, between Maryland’s cornerbacks and Florida State’s receiving corps. The Seminoles have a variety of weapons in Kenny Shaw, Rashad Greene, and Kelvin Benjamin. The trio has accounted for eight touchdowns and over 900 yards in four games. Meanwhile, the Terps lost both their starting corners to injury and will be calling upon younger players to fill in the gaps, so Winston could have a field day in the air given Maryland’s inexperience as well as lack of height.

Prediction: 35-31, Florida State. Maryland has never won at Doak Campbell Stadium and is 2-21 all-time against the Seminoles. Nonetheless, this is shaping up to be a good game as FSU gives up a lot of yards on the ground, but I think Winston’s aerial attack will be too much for the Maryland secondary. Giving up the big play will be key in whoever wins this battle, so special teams will play a considerable role in this game. It’s also noteworthy that Diggs hasn’t taken one to the house this as kick returner yet this season. Could Saturday be the day? Time will tell, but this game will help answer the question if Maryland is truly a legitimate contender in the Atlantic division, let alone the entire conference.

This Saturday’s game takes place at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, FL. Kickoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be televised on ESPN.