The LSU Tigers will take on the Texas Longhorns at Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. No. 6 LSU enters as the favorite, though both teams are 1-0 and have potential to go far this season.
This game will go a long way for whichever team wins in deciding their position at the end of the season. LSU will have tough competition all season long in the SEC, while No. 9 Texas would love to put a win against an SEC opponent on its resume.
Solid Start
LSU is coming off a big 55-3 win against an easy Georgia Southern team. Getting an easy game like this to start the season works like a preseason game to prep them for a team like Texas in Week 2. The Tigers took full advantage of the game, getting their offense settled in with their senior QB Joe Burrow going 23 for 27 for 278 yards and five touchdowns.
The Tigers have always been known for their defense, specifically their defensive backs, getting them the nickname “DB U.” This year is no different, as their star safety Grant Delpit will definitely find a way to have an impact in this game and cause problems for Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Grant was named the nation’s top defensive back by USA Today.
While the Tigers’ defense has been great for years, they have been known to struggle on offense, particularly the quarterback position. At one time LSU had both Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr and was still unproductive on offense. Now with a new coach and QB, they look to prove that stereotype wrong and put points on the board and hold up their side of the ball.
This is the most complete LSU team we have seen in years, making them one of the favorites this season to jump into the top four teams and make the College Football Playoff for the first time. A win or loss in this game will be critical to their success.
Wanting A Repeat
The last time Texas played an SEC team, it ended with Texas on top and Ehlinger yelling into a microphone that Texas was back. The Longhorns have one of the most historic programs in college football, but they have come up short over the last few years up until last season.
Ehlinger is primed to have a big season for Texas as he enters his junior year. In his first game, he went 28 for 38 with 276 yards and four touchdowns. It seems like this team will go as far as Ehlinger can take them this season and going up against the LSU defense should be a great early-season test to see what he can do.
Tight Battle
While LSU is the favorite in this game, there are a few things worth noting. As a favorite, LSU is just 8-8 over the last two seasons, while Texas coach Tom Herman is 10-6 straight-up as an underdog. Texas will also be at home for this game, which can be a huge advantage in college sports, especially in the state of Texas against an SEC team.
Both teams know what this could do for their season and will put everything on the line to walk away with the win. LSU has the more complete roster, while Texas plays well as an underdog and has home-field advantage.
I expect LSU’s stiff defense to give Texas a lot of trouble, but I think Texas gets the momentum going and steals the win at home, making them the team to keep an eye on moving forward.
