Maryland @ Texas preview

No. 23 Texas has a new look as the storied program begins its 125th football season Saturday afternoon against visiting Maryland. The Longhorns lost their final three games last season en route to a 5-7 finish and hired Tom Herman to resurrect a program that went 16-21 in three seasons under Charlie Strong.

Herman will have a couple of 2016 All-Americans at his disposal, including offensive lineman Connor Williams - just the fourth sophomore in Texas history to receive All-American honors. One of the team's other All-Americans will have to be replaced, however, as running back D'Onta Foreman - the Doak Walker Award winner - is now in the NFL. Chris Warren takes over as the primary ball carrier and is eager to get started after missing most of last season due to injury. Maryland has finished with a losing record in back-to-back years, but expectations are higher as 2017 rolls around.

TV: Noon, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas -18.5

ABOUT MARYLAND (2016: 6-7, 3-6 Big Ten): The Terps will give the starting nod to Tyrrell Pigrome after the sophomore quarterback beat out fellow second-year player Max Bortenschlager and freshman Kasim Hill. Pigrome, who is primarily a running quarterback, saw action in 11 of the team's 13 games a season ago and will be making his second career start this weekend. “He’s head and shoulders beyond what he was last year,” coach DJ Durkin said recently. “He just feels more at ease in the spot. He had a great spring. He’s ready to go be a starting quarterback and compete for the job, he certainly is. He has transformed."

ABOUT TEXAS (2016: 5-7, 3-6 Big 12): The Longhorns also have a sophomore at quarterback in Shane Buechele, who started all 12 games last season and threw for nearly 3,000 yards with at least one touchdown pass in 11 of the 12 games. Yet, despite a wealth of offensive talent, Herman is trying to lower expectations heading into his first year at the helm, possibly because the Texas defense gave up more than 30 points per game in 2016. “I don't know why we're ranked in the top 25,” said Herman, who spent the previous two seasons as Houston's coach. “I hope it's not because of me. I think it's more of because we're Texas and we're a national brand.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Maryland is predicted to finish sixth in the seven-team Big Ten East, according to the conference's head coaches.

2. Texas has won 16 of its last 17 season openers.

3. The teams have not met since the 1978 Sun Bowl, a 42-0 rout by Texas. In fact, Maryland has never scored in three all-time meetings with the Longhorns.

PREDICTION: Texas 33, Maryland 14