Make New York Post a Preferred Source Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect There have been plenty of sharp right turns in the college football season, but perhaps none have been more stark than what we’ve seen from the Texas Longhorns.
After starting the season with a bang, all hope seemed lost in Austin after consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Florida.
There was talk of things turning toxic between Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning, and a tough schedule awaited.
Instead of wilting, the Longhorns have completely turned things around.
Convincing wins over Ole Miss Mississippi State, and Missouri have Texas back in the fight for the SEC Championship.
And a win over LSU on Saturday would all but guarantee the Longhorns a spot at the College Football Playoff.
Speaking of right turns, it was hard to see LSU’s performance against Alabama last weekend coming.
The Crimson Tide are a terrific team, but the Bayou Bengals were six-point favorites and got walloped, 31-13.
As ugly as the result was, the box score suggested that LSU deserved better.
The Tigers outgained Alabama, 457 to 285, but they went 0-for-4 on fourth down and had a minus-two turnover differential. Nobody is going to overcome that.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt in action. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert LSU’s defense has trended down some over the past few weeks, but SP+ still ranks the Tigers No. 9 in the country and they rank fifth in yards per play allowed.
You would have loved more stops against Alabama, but the Tigers still held them under 300 yards of total offense, so you can’t pin that one on Blake Baker’s D corps.
The Tigers won’t be the only elite defense on the field, however.
Texas has been sensational without the ball this season, ranking fourth in SP+ and first in yards per play allowed (4.0).
Both defenses will face stiff tests under the lights in Death Valley on Saturday, but neither has given us much reason for pause.
Bettors and fans may default to thinking that a game featuring Lane Kiffin, Manning, Sarkisian and Sam Leavitt will be full of offensive fireworks, but given the stakes and the defenses at play, this could be a low-event contest.
The Play: Under 45.5 points (-110, DraftKings)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
