Texas Football: 5 reasons Longhorns will beat Maryland in Week 1

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 02: Shane Buechele #7 of the Texas Longhorns scrambles and is tackled by Brett Kulka #96 of the Maryland Terrapins in the second quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

5 of 6

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

2. Texas has something to play for

The Longhorns, although not expected to win the Big 12, can certainly compete at the top of the leaderboard. The Terrapins, on the other hand, are forecasted to have one of the worst records in the Big Ten and playing in a rugged East division, won’t fare too well in their favor.

An out-of-conference win will set the tone nicely for the 2018 season and can be an influencer for where the Longhorns end up in the postseason.

With a 7-6 record in 2017, Texas qualified for a bowl game and defeated strong-armed quarterback Drew Lock and the Missouri Tigers in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl.

The bar will remain high and a similar, if not a greater result will be expected in 2018.

Home/Texas Longhorns