Texas is arriving in Baton Rouge with momentum and a real shot to keep climbing, while LSU is staring at a must-have opportunity to save its playoff hopes.
No. 6 Texas has moved up one spot in the CFP rankings, while No.
21 LSU slid seven places. That gap reflects where both teams are right now: the Longhorns are surging, and the Tigers are trying to stop the bleeding before it costs them a chance at the College Football Playoff.
Texas enters Saturday at 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, riding three straight wins after back-to-back losses to unranked league opponents. Two of those victories came against ranked teams, pushing the Longhorns back into the SEC title picture and into the CFP conversation.
“I feel like we can play with anybody -- I wouldn’t shy away from that,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “‘Who’s elite and who’s not?’
I don’t know. That’s not fair for me to answer.
“We’re getting better as a team. I feel like individuals are improving on the team, not just frontline starters, but some of our developmental guys. Everybody’s improving.”
Texas’ latest win came Nov. 7 at No. 18 Missouri, a 34-20 result powered by Arch Manning’s 297 passing yards and three touchdown throws. One of those scores went to Raleek Brown in the fourth quarter to give Texas the lead, and Brown added 85 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Sarkisian said the Longhorns will need to raise their level again to handle LSU on the road.
“One of the keys is something we’ve been harping on: taking practice to the game,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve practiced really well the last two weeks, all the way up until our Friday walkthroughs.
We’ve got to continue to be situationally aware. Ultimately, having poise and composure on the road and doing it with a real sense of confidence is going to be needed Saturday night as well.”
LSU comes in at 6-3 and 3-3 after a 31-13 loss at home to then-No. 5 Alabama.
Sam Leavitt went 35 of 47 for 380 yards, but he did not throw a touchdown pass. The Tigers led 13-10 with 2:44 left in the third quarter, then gave up the final 21 points.
They also came away empty on two trips inside Alabama’s 10-yard line and had two other drives stall at the Crimson Tide 36.
“The games we’ve needed to finish, we’ve gone 0-3 in those games,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Monday. “The inability to finish when you have a chance to finish games is what has let us down.”
Even so, LSU has shown it can bounce back after setbacks this season. After losing to Ole Miss, the Tigers beat Texas A&M 35-6. After a 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky, they responded with a 31-0 win over Mississippi State.
“I don’t know if kids have changed nowadays, but I think a lot of times you’re seeing that teams actually rebound much better than they handle success,” Kiffin said.
“You see a lot of these games that don’t make sense to you on paper if you look at the week before. The good thing about that is we have a great team coming in here with great players and really challenging matchups, and we get to play them (at home).”
In Other News...
LSU Gets A Whit Weeks Boost As Texas Prep Brings New Concern
LSUs first injury report of the week ahead of Texas brought a little encouragement and a fresh layer of concern. Linebacker Whit Weeks is listed as questionable after sitting out the previous game with a fractured fibula, giving the Tigers at least a chance to get one of their key defenders back as they turn the page to a marquee matchup.
The report also added new names to the mix, with offensive tackle Weston Davis and defensive end Gabriel Reliford showing up alongside the existing injuries. LSU is already operating without Phillip Wright III, Dashawn Spears and Charles Ross II for the season because of leg injuries, so the availability picture heading into Texas feels as important as the game plan itself. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Faces A Week 11 Threat Fans Wont Like
Week 11 brings a fresh round of upset chatter, and LSU is right in the middle of it as Texas gets mentioned as a potential spoiler. The setup is familiar enough for this point in the season: a ranked team, a big-name opponent, and a game that can quickly shift the conversation around a program if things go sideways. The broader slate also includes other eye-catching upset picks, but LSUs matchup stands out because it carries real weight for how the Tigers are viewed heading into the stretch run.
What makes the Texas-LSU angle worth watching is the mix of recent performance, injuries and game context that can tilt a close call into a surprise result. These are the kinds of November games where one bad half can change everything, and the article frames this one as a legitimate threat rather than a throwaway prediction. For LSU fans, it is the sort of warning sign that makes a weekend feel a little heavier before the opening kickoff even arrives. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces A Defining Home Test With Pressure Suddenly Rising
LSU heads into Tiger Stadium this weekend with the kind of home date that can shape a season. After the loss to Alabama, the Tigers now get No. 7 Texas in an SEC matchup that carries real weight for their postseason path, and the margin for error has suddenly tightened. A win would give LSU a much cleaner route back into the bigger picture, while also easing some of the noise that follows a stumble in a game like this.
The challenge starts with finishing drives, because LSUs red zone offense has to be sharper against a Texas defense that will punish empty trips. On the other side, the Tigers will also need a disciplined defensive plan for Arch Manning, whose presence gives the Longhorns a different kind of threat to manage. For LSU, this is the sort of November test that can either steady the season or make the pressure around it grow louder. [Read more 🡒]