The Maryland wrestling team is stuck in a downward spiral at the worst possible time.

In the heart of their Big Ten schedule and with postseason tournaments looming, the Terps are desperate for a confidence booster.

That boost will be a seemingly insurmountable task as Maryland (0-8, 0-5 Big Ten) travels to the midwest this weekend to take on a pair of perennial powerhouses — No. 3 Iowa (11-0, 6-0 Big Ten) and No. 7 Minnesota (12-2, 5-1 Big Ten).

“Matchup-wise, Iowa and Minnesota are way better than we are,” head coach Kerry McCoy said. “We have a couple opportunities here and there, but on paper it’s not looking real good. We just have to focus on being our best and doing what we can individually and collectively.”

[Read more: Josh Ugalde overcame injuries to get his first dual win of the year for Maryland wrestling]

While the team results are expected to be lopsided, the weekend will feature two hugely anticipated matches as No. 9 heavyweight Youssif Hemida will take on both No. 7 Sam Stoll of Iowa and No. 1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota.

Steveson has taken the country by storm, accumulating a perfect 25-0 record as a true freshmen. His bout with Hemida will feature two of the best, not only in the country but in the world, as Hemida is a 2018 U-23 silver medalist and Steveson is a 2018 World Junior Champion.

Having won two NCAA heavyweight championships and being a two-time Olympian himself, McCoy knows how special the 18-year old Steveson is. Still, he’s keeping his hopes up for Hemida.

“His results show that he’s the real deal,” McCoy said. “The best thing about our sport is that on any given day anybody can be beat, and he may be a little ahead of the competition right now, but we have an opportunity to knock him off.”

Hemida is capable of beating the vaunted freshmen, but he’ll need to wrestle better than he did Saturday against Wisconsin. A 5-2 loss to No. 8 Trent Hillger dropped Hemida a spot to No. 9 in the Intermat rankings.

The senior is looking to use that drop in rankings as motivation.

“I’m definitely using it as fire,” Hemida said. “I got caught up too much in [Hillger’s] ranking and didn’t go out there and wrestle my best.”

Iowa’s Stoll and Minnesota’s Steveson are considered much tougher opponents than Hillger. With Hemida hoping to compete for the national championship he covets, this weekend provides him an opportunity to show that he can handle the Big Ten’s best.

[Read more: Against Wisconsin, Brandon Cray gave Maryland wrestling its first lead of the season]

Hemida isn’t the only Terp with tough matchups this weekend. Fresh off a major decision loss to No. 3 Evan Wick of Wisconsin, 165-pounder Philip Spadafora will take on No. 2 Alex Marinelli of Iowa.

Spadafora has been a pleasant surprise in his redshirt freshman season, as he’s the only Maryland wrestler besides Hemida and 149-pounder Alfred Bannister with multiple Big Ten wins.

Spadafora views matches against the best 165-pounders in the nation as chances to show he can join them in the top-tier of college wrestling.

“That’s the end goal,” Spadafora said. “Obviously I want to be one of the top 10 guys but I control what only I can control. I need to just have the mindset that I can compete with the top guys.”

Maryland will look to take advantage of Austin DeSanto’s one-game suspension after the No. 3-ranked 133-pounder was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in his previous match.

Even with DeSanto sidelined, every single Terp will be facing at least one top-20 wrestler this weekend.

Considering the quality of their opponents, McCoy knows the Terps will need to bring a stronger effort than what they displayed against Wisconsin.

“We really reinforced the idea of putting forth the effort,” McCoy said. “We’re going to be ready for the challenge.”

McCoy also expressed optimism about the return of 141-pounder and 2018 NCAA qualifier Ryan Diehl but also announced that projected starter at 197 pounds, David-Brian Whisler, is likely out for the season.

“It’s still day-to-day for Diehl and he’s still nursing some things,” McCoy said. “I don’t think we’ll see [Whisler] again in our lineup this year.”

If Diehl does return this week, it’ll be a welcome addition to a Maryland team that desperately needs help to avoid a winless dual season. The Terps and the Hawkeyes are currently going in opposite directions, and McCoy is ready for the raucous crowd that will be waiting for his team in Iowa City.

“Going out and wrestling at Carver Hawkeye Arena on a Friday night at 7 o’clock,” he said, “is going to be a brutal atmosphere.”