Another year, another season-opening loss to Maryland. Don’t look so surprised.

This one is worse for Tom Herman and Texas, however, since last year’s dud in the opener could be attributed in part to the Longhorns’ offseason coaching change. There are no such excuses for Saturday’s loss to a Maryland team fresh off a horrid offseason playing without its head coach.

Earlier this spring, the Terrapins were rocked by the on-field death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair, who died while participating in drills conducted by the program’s strength and conditioning staff.

Last month, a bombshell report linked Maryland’s coaching staff to a toxic culture of fear and intimidation. In the wake of that report, the university fired several staff members and placed head coach DJ Durkin on leave. Durkin’s future remains in doubt.

So that’s the backdrop to Saturday’s victory. Only in comparison did Texas resemble a well-oiled machine. Looks can be deceiving.

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With interim coach Matt Canada at the controls, the Terrapins took a 24-7 lead in the second quarter before Texas cut the lead to 24-22 heading into halftime. After a long weather delay, Maryland clinched a 34-29 win after intercepting Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger with less than two minutes left.

The Longhorns were outgained by Maryland, if just by a hair. They committed three turnovers to Maryland’s none. Texas accounted for more than 100 penalty yards. In total, the Texas offense converted just three times on third down.

“We know how much better we are now than we were probably at any point last year,” Herman said postgame. “We didn't show it in the 1st quarter and the 4th quarter.”

Texas is back, in a way, since the Texas of this decade is the sort of program that loses to Maryland. Whether Herman, Charlie Strong or the latter years of the Mack Brown era, the Longhorns are defined by massive expectations and underwhelming results.

Of Maryland’s five wins against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents since Oct. 26, 2016, two have come against the Longhorns. Remember when Kansas beat Texas in 2016? That happened. Google it.

Why was this year supposed to be different? That the Longhorns found a home in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll was ridiculous. Texas hadn’t earned that right. List the teams more deserving of a spot in the Top 25 – Northwestern, South Carolina, Oregon, so on. Texas isn’t even the best team in Texas.

A more reasoned set of expectations asked for something simple: improvement. Better performances against the weak part of its schedule. Turning at least one of last year’s narrow losses, such as single-possession defeats against Southern California, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, into narrow wins.

The expectations in place heading into the opener were unfair, but such is life at Texas. It was always inevitable that at some point, the Longhorns would reveal their true colors. If it comes at all, a push into New Year’s Six bowl consideration won’t happen until 2019 at the earliest.

The point is that this is disappointing, but it shouldn’t be surprising. Losing to Maryland last year wasn’t embarrassing. It was just Texas. It was the same story on Saturday.