No. 6 Texas is heading into Baton Rouge to take on No. 21 LSU this Saturday, and if you’re an LSU fan, you should be sweating. The Tigers are fighting for their playoff lives, sitting at a brutal 0-3 against ranked opponents. Meanwhile, Arch Manning is straight-up cooking, leading a surging Longhorns squad with a defense that’s just nasty.
Longhorns Rolling, Tigers Stumbling Into SEC Showdown
Texas is on fire right now, bouncing back from some early season bumps with three straight wins. Last week, they dropped No. 18 Missouri 34-20, showing everyone they’re for real and back in the SEC title race. LSU, though? They just got handed a 31-13 loss by No. 5 Alabama. Their offense looked totally lost, barely managing 2.3 yards per carry against the Crimson Tide. It’s tough when you can’t get anything going on the ground.
This matchup is kinda wild, too. Texas and LSU have only gone head-to-head 18 times in history, and the Longhorns haven’t stepped foot in Tiger Stadium since 1953. Can you believe that? The last time these two even played was way back in 2019, with Joe Burrow hitting that dramatic third-and-17 touchdown pass to seal the deal. This weekend marks their first time ever facing off as actual conference mates, which just adds another layer to this already intense rivalry.
Manning’s Emergence and Defensive Clashes
Remember when Arch Manning was having those midseason “growing pains”? Inconsistent performances against Florida and Oklahoma had some folks wondering. Well, scratch that. Over the last two weeks, the junior and former No. 1 overall recruit has completely found his rhythm. He’s completing a ridiculous 76% of his passes, throwing six touchdowns, and, get this, zero interceptions. That’s what you call settling in and taking control.
And if you love defense, this game is for you. Statistically, Texas and LSU are two of the top three defenses in the entire SEC, right up there with Georgia in almost every important category. LSU is a beast against the run, holding opponents to just 2.7 yards per carry. Texas, on the other hand, absolutely shuts down the pass, limiting opponents to 5.4 yards per attempt and snagging six interceptions to go with eight touchdowns allowed. With that kind of defensive talent on both sides, you should expect a low-scoring battle in Death Valley.
Playoff Dreams On The Line For LSU
The College Football Playoff picture is getting serious, and for Texas, things are looking pretty good. Even if they somehow picked up a third loss, their strong resume means they’re still in solid shape. LSU? Oh man, their playoff dreams are almost completely dead. Being 0-3 against ranked opponents and ranked outside the top 20 in the CFP Rankings is not where you want to be right now. Their only hope is that they still have games left against No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Volunteers, but honestly, even winning those might not be enough if they end up 9-3.
LSU absolutely needs this game to have any shot at all. They’re up against a Texas offense that, while not perfect, has a red-hot Arch Manning, and they’ll be facing arguably the best defense they’ll see all season in the Longhorns. My pick for this one is Texas +4. Get ready for a physical, hard-fought game where every single yard will be earned. Tune in Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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