The no. 23 Texas Longhorns will begin year two of the Tom Herman era when they pay a visit to the Maryland Terrapins. Kickoff is set for noon EST on Saturday, September 1 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The game will be nationally televised on FS1. Texas enters the game as 13.5-point favorites. Get more point spreads from Vegas and see who else will be on TV by going here.
Texas made incredible strides in Herman’s first season in Austin. Despite a sluggish start to the season, including a home loss to Maryland in the season opener, the Longhorns got better as the season went along, especially on the defensive side of the ball. After beating Missouri in the Texas Bowl, the Longhorns finished the season with a modest 7-6 record. However, they played well enough down the stretch to make fans believe they have a chance to challenge for a Big 12 title in 2018.
Maryland, on the other hand, is an utter mess and in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Head coach D.J. Durkin is currently on administrative leave after offensive lineman Jordan McNair died during preseason workouts. There are also reports of a “toxic” culture at Maryland under Durkin. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who only joined the team in January, is the interim head coach until things with Durkin can get sorted out.
On top of everything going on off the field, the Terrapins were just 4-8 last season, losing seven of their last eight games. Playing in the Big Ten east division means Maryland has a conference schedule is unforgiving. The Terps can’t afford to lose many non-conference games if they expect to reach a bowl game, so they need to start their season with a win.
As mentioned, Maryland beat Texas 51-41 to open the 2017 season. From an entertainment perspective, we can only hope for a similar contest this time around. However, both programs are in a different place from where they were a year ago.
I don’t know how Maryland is going to play with all the controversy and uncertainty surrounding Durkin. But I believe they’re a more talented team than the one that lost seven of their last eight games in 2017. The Terrapins should also be healthy to start the season after an injury-plagued campaign last year. That’s enough for me to lean toward Maryland to at least keep things close against Texas.
While the Longhorns were led by their defense last season, they had to replace some of the best players on that side of the ball. To be fair, Herman has recruited well, so there is no shortage of talent on the Texas defense. However, the Longhorns will be young on that side of the ball, particularly in the secondary. Over time, the Texas defense will improve. But much like last season, they could struggle early in the season, so I think the Longhorns could be a little vulnerable defensively in this game.
Maryland should also be much-improved offensively from a season ago. The Terps were undone by injuries in 2017, particularly at the quarterback position. Kasim Hill flashed great potential early last year before he was injured. He’ll be under center with an experienced offensive line in front of him. Maryland also returns the two-headed monster of Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison in the backfield, giving them two proven running backs. That duo should help take some of the pressure off Hill and perhaps give him a chance to take shots down the field once the Terrapins establish a running game.
It’s also important to note that Canada’s offense involves a lot of pre-snap movement designed to confuse the defense. Honestly, it’s a lot of bells and whistles without much of a purpose sometimes. However, a young Texas defense could have some mental breakdowns that allow the Maryland offense to hit on some big plays. Despite his inexperience, Hill definitely has the arm talent to take advantage of such opportunities.
Meanwhile, the jury is still out somewhat on the Texas offense. Herman has decided on Sam Ehlinger as the team’s starting quarterback. He gives the Longhorns more of a running threat at quarterback compared to Shane Buechele. In fact, Ehlinger was the team’s leading rusher with 385 yards last year. That should change with top recruit Keaontay Ingram and Cal grad transfer Tre Watson joining the backfield. However, the offensive line was a big problem a season ago and needs to improve if the Texas offense is going to score with more consistency this season.
Against Maryland, the Longhorns will face a defense that has a couple pass rushers who are capable of exposing a mediocre offensive line. The Terrapins also upgraded their talent with a few transfers. No one is predicting Maryland to have an elite defensive team. But they should be able to hold their own against a Texas offense that also begins the season with a lot to prove.
Despite all of Maryland’s off-field issues, I think the players will be ready and excited to play Texas in their season opener. I also don’t see a huge talent gap between these two teams, as I remain a little skeptical of the Texas offense and their youth on defense. That makes me comfortable picking Maryland to beat a 13.5-point spread.