No. 6 Texas vs. No. 21 LSU Picks, Predictions & Preview: Does LSU Bounce Back?

The Texas Longhorns have found ways to win football games lately, but I still don’t trust this offensive line. I don’t care what the box scores say against Ole Miss and Missouri. Those guys are still having problems up front.

That’s a major concern heading into Saturday night’s matchup against LSU in Baton Rouge. I expect the Tigers’ defensive line to create all kinds of havoc against Texas, especially if they can keep Raleek Brown from getting outside.

LSU has some problems of its own following last week’s 31-13 loss to Alabama. The Tigers moved the football all afternoon but couldn’t finish drives. That’s something Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. need to figure out before facing another talented defense.

Saturday’s college football matchup is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Texas’ Offensive Line Is Still a Problem

I don’t care that Texas ran the football well against Ole Miss. I don’t care that the offense looked more balanced against Missouri last week.

Go back and watch what happened against Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs held Texas to 62 rushing yards and sacked Arch Manning six times. They built a wall defensively and refused to let Brown bounce outside.

That’s exactly what LSU needs to do.

The key is playing selfless, disciplined football on the edges. You cannot let Brown get outside because he’s capable of manufacturing a running game by himself.

If LSU contains him, I think the Tigers are going to overwhelm these Texas offensive linemen.

And I don’t care that Trevor Goosby is being talked about as a potential top 15 draft pick. I’ve never really loved his game.

Ryan Wingo is the X-Factor for Texas

I’ve thought Ryan Wingo has been the X-factor for this Texas offense for the last two years.

Wingo is the extension of the running game when the running game doesn’t work. He’s the explosive weapon. He’s the quarterback’s bailout option.

He’s also become a really good route runner, which is something I didn’t necessarily expect to see. He’s catching the football consistently and hasn’t had many critical drops lately.

I think Wingo is going to be the X-factor again Saturday night.

Between Wingo and Brown, Texas has two of the toughest players to tackle on the field. LSU has to find a way to limit both of them.

LSU Needs to Finish Drives Against Texas

For LSU, it’s simple. The Tigers have to finish in the red area.

LSU put up 476 yards of total offense against Alabama and scored 13 points. When you do that, there’s a problem.

I didn’t think the play-calling was nearly creative enough inside the 10-yard line. There’s a problem with situational football and converting when you’re asked to do so.

There’s certainly no problem moving the football.

But I actually think it’s going to be harder for LSU to move the ball against Texas than it was against Alabama.

The Crimson Tide had a pretty simple defensive game plan. If LSU was going to score, it was going to take 14 plays to get there.

Normally, Kiffin and Weis are comfortable in that environment. They’ll take everything underneath and put together those long scoring drives.

But Alabama created negative plays along the way. Eventually, LSU would find itself facing second-and-12 or third-and-eight, and the Crimson Tide would get off the field.

That’s the recipe for defending this LSU offense.

I don’t think you can play man-to-man coverage all afternoon against the Tigers, especially with Trey’Dez Green and that running game.

But you’ve got to make LSU earn everything. And when the Tigers get into scoring position, they’ve got to find a way to finish.

Texas vs. LSU Prediction

I’m picking Texas to win this football game, and I don’t feel good about it.

I don’t trust these guys. I didn’t trust them last week, either.

But I’m tired of picking against Texas and being wrong. I also picked LSU last week, and the Tigers made me look stupid.

So, I’m going with the Longhorns to win another close football game.

Final Score Prediction: Texas 20, LSU 17.