newsweek
As the No. 6 Texas Longhorns gear up for a Saturday showdown against No. 21 LSU in Baton Rouge, they do so as one of the nation's hottest teams. Texas has rattled off three consecutive victories, including a 31-3 dismantling of Mississippi State, and has secured ranked wins over then-No. 7 Ole Miss (34-27) and No. 18 Missouri (34-20).
Meanwhile, the Tigers' College Football Playoff aspirations took a significant hit after a 31-13 home loss to then-No. 5 Alabama last weekend. According to ESPN's Allstate Playoff Predictor, LSU now has just a 19% chance of reaching the postseason.
Despite Texas's recent surge, not everyone is convinced the Longhorns should be favored against LSU. Former Tigers and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, now an analyst for CBS Sports, offered a candid assessment on 'Inside College Football.'
Kelly's Concerns
Kelly expressed doubts about Texas's ability to protect the quarterback, stating, 'I don't know if Texas can protect. I don't think you can fix that over a week.' He also emphasized that LSU's path to victory lies in situational football, particularly in the red zone and on fourth down. 'I think you can correct situational football with execution. I don't know if they can protect. I'm going with LSU,' Kelly added.
In the loss to Alabama, LSU converted just 3 of 14 third downs and failed on all four fourth-down attempts. The Tigers turned the ball over twice and scored only one touchdown, despite outgaining the Crimson Tide 457 to 285 in total yards.
Turnovers have been a persistent issue for LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt all season. He has thrown an interception in each of the Tigers' three losses and has nine total on the year. Leavitt has also been sacked 15 times and fumbled twice.
On the other side, Texas quarterback Arch Manning has faced constant pressure. He has been sacked 27 times, the third-most in FBS, and has struggled with turnovers, throwing seven interceptions and losing four fumbles across nine games. Last week against Missouri, Manning completed 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, but was sacked three times and fumbled once.
The Longhorns have been plagued by injuries on offense, which hasn't helped Manning. Notably, they lost All-SEC left tackle Trevor Goosby, and protection has been a season-long issue. With only three games remaining, time is running short to rectify the problem.
LSU is in a more desperate situation, as a loss on Saturday would effectively end any CFP hopes. For Texas, a second loss would give them their third of the year, potentially damaging their own playoff résumé.
Originally reported by newsweek.