Texas Is Back in the Top 10. Baton Rouge Can Still Wreck Its Playoff Run.

Texas spent most of the fourth quarter at Missouri one possession away from letting a game slip. Then Arch Manning found Raleek Brown for a touchdown, Brown added another on the ground, and a tie game became a 34–20 Texas win. That finish sent the Longhorns to No. 8 in the AP poll. The question now is whether they can do that kind of work earlier in Baton Rouge.

Texas visits No. 24 LSU on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Longhorns are 7–2 and have won three straight. LSU is 6–3 after losing 31–13 to Alabama at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers trailed by four entering the fourth quarter against Alabama. Texas should pay attention to those first three quarters before drawing too much comfort from the final score.

Manning and Brown give Texas a way out of bad situations

Manning completed 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri. Brown finished with 85 rushing yards and 48 receiving yards, including the 23-yard touchdown catch that broke the tie with 5:03 left. With 1:25 remaining, he scored again from eight yards out.

The two touchdowns showed why Brown’s role should travel. A back who can win as a receiver gives Manning somewhere to go if the defense takes away the first read. It also forces a defender to cover Brown in space instead of simply stepping into the run fit. Texas can make LSU deal with the same player in different places without having to change personnel.

Use that early. If Texas can get Brown the ball on first or second down, it may be able to keep LSU from dictating when it wants to pressure Manning. A four-yard gain in that spot can be worth more than the highlight that comes when a quarterback makes something happen on third-and-long. It preserves the option to run and lets Steve Sarkisian call a wider range of plays while the defense still has to defend the whole field.

LSU kept Alabama within reach into the fourth quarter

Alabama led 17–13 through three quarters before scoring twice in the fourth. That should be the starting point for understanding LSU’s threat. Texas can play well for much of the night and still find itself needing a drive or a stop to put the game away. The longer LSU stays within a score, the more one penalty, turnover or blown assignment can swing the result.

The Texas offensive line can do as much as anyone to keep that from happening. A clean pocket lets Manning set his feet and work through the routes. When the protection breaks down, he needs a quick answer he can trust. Brown is one option. So are routes that give the quarterback a clear place to put the ball when a defender leaves his area to pressure.

At the other end, Texas can help itself by getting LSU off the field after its own scoring drives. The Longhorns scored on all four trips into the red zone at Missouri, but two of those possessions ended in field goals. When the offense comes away with three, a quick defensive stop can keep LSU from answering with seven and changing the complexion of the game.

A third loss would weaken Texas’s playoff case

The Longhorns were seventh in the first CFP rankings. Where they land on Tuesday will show how the committee valued the Missouri win and how it views Texas next to the other two-loss SEC contenders. A third loss would give the committee a much easier reason to move Texas down as it sorts out the at-large field.

The best thing Texas can do for its case is make LSU chase the game. Get Brown involved before the downs get predictable, give Manning enough time to use the middle of the field, and finish drives with touchdowns. Texas proved at Missouri it can close out a tight road game. Baton Rouge is the place to prove it can take control before the final five minutes.