By the time Texas gets to Baton Rouge on Nov. 14, the Longhorns and LSU should have already told us plenty about who they are.
That’s what makes this one so compelling. Texas will have spent the season slogging through a schedule that starts with Ohio State and runs through a brutal SEC grind, including road games at Tennessee, Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M, plus home dates with Florida and Ole Miss. LSU, for its part, opens with its own heavyweight stretch - Clemson, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama - so this meeting could land right when both teams are trying to sort out where they stand.
If Texas is still alive in the College Football Playoff race in mid-November, LSU may be the last major obstacle before the regular season’s final push.
The Longhorns should already have a solid read on themselves by then. The front half of the schedule will have answered plenty of questions, with Texas having faced Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida, Ole Miss and Oklahoma before ever stepping into Tiger Stadium.
LSU enters Year 1 under Lane Kiffin with a roster that looks built for immediate intrigue. The Tigers attacked the transfer portal and brought in quarterback Sam Leavitt along with a batch of explosive skill talent. On defense, they’ve loaded up on experienced pieces, including star linebacker Whit Weeks, Ole Miss transfer linebacker TJ Dottery and Boise State transfer safety Ty Benefield.
If Kiffin’s group has found its footing by November, Texas could be walking into one of the toughest road settings in college football against another team still chasing a playoff spot.
And if the Longhorns are in a shaky place by then, the margin for error gets tiny fast. After LSU, Texas would have just two games left - Arkansas and Texas A&M - to strengthen its case.
A win in Baton Rouge would leave Texas in control of its path. A loss would force the Longhorns into the kind of résumé debate no team wants to face in the final week of the regular season.
In Other News...
Texas Recruiting Surge May Be One Huge Domino From Another Leap
Texas has spent the last month turning its 2027 class into one of the country's most intriguing recruiting stories, and the momentum is already easy to see. With 21 commitments, the Longhorns sit No. 6 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC, backed by a class that already features five-star cornerback John Meredith III and five-star receiver Easton Royal.
The next step is where things could get even more interesting. Texas is still pursuing a handful of elite targets, including offensive lineman Ismael Camara, and a couple of those additions would give the Longhorns the kind of late boost that can change how the class is viewed both nationally and inside the conference. For a program already recruiting at a high level, the difference between a strong class and a truly elite one may come down to one more major domino. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Baseball Just Took Another Brutal Loss To The SEC
The offseason has already been rough for Oregon baseball, and the latest hit comes from the coaching staff. Jack Marder, who spent seven seasons helping shape the Ducks as hitting coach, recruiting coordinator and catchers coach, is moving on after playing a major role in the programs rise and in its recruiting work.
For Texas, it is another reminder of how aggressively the SEC continues to pull in talent on and off the field. The Ducks had already watched freshmen Angel Laya and Naulivou Junior Lauaki Jr. transfer to LSU and Georgia, and Marders exit adds another layer to a stretch that has left Oregon trying to hold together both its roster and its staff after a tough postseason matchup with the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Is Getting The Kind Of Hype Fans Know Too Well
The preseason buzz is already turning Texas into one of the sports defining storylines again, with college football analyst Josh Pate projecting the Longhorns to open at No. 1 in the AP Poll. It is the kind of attention Texas fans know well, and this version comes with the usual mix of optimism and expectation after a roster makeover built through staff adjustments, the transfer portal and another strong recruiting push.
Pates take also carries a familiar reminder for Austin: being the team everyone is talking about in August does not guarantee anything once the games start. Texas entered last season with top billing before the season drifted away from those title hopes, and the road ahead will not be any easier this time with a demanding schedule waiting. Still, the Longhorns have clearly done everything they can to look the part of a true contender, which is exactly why the early ranking chatter is already so loud. [Read more 🡒]