The LSU Tigers have another major opponent coming to town this weekend as they take on the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns.

If the Tigers want to make it to the College Football Playoff, they have to play nearly perfect football. They haven't been able to do that against an opponent that is still ranked. The Longhorns are going to be one of their toughest matchups yet.

Texas isn't immortal, they have two losses on the year, so LSU should have hope. The Tigers are actually favored in this game right now. Here are some keys to victory for LSU in this matchup:

Manning is one of college football's more controversial players. He has the legacy and name recognition, but his play has never been consistent, which has drawn plenty of doubters.

The quarterback has been red-hot over the past two weeks, so the Tigers have to do everything they can to make him comfortable, as he historically crumbles under pressure. He actually did very well under pressure last week against the Missouri Tigers, granted. LSU needs Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross to stand out in this game. Ross is coming off his worst game of the year, but Umanmielen has begun to break out of his short slump.

It's odd to say that a game in which Sam Leavitt threw for 380 yards on 47 attempts proved that the Tigers have played scared with him, but that's exactly what happened. Leavitt is clearly a very talented player, but he is prone to mistakes. He leads the conference with nine interceptions for a reason.

When LSU is playing against top opponents, they play more conservatively, as if they aren't trusting Leavitt to make the right decision. Outside of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who gave the Tigers zero resistance on anything, Leavitt's other three lowest-average depths of target came in the three losses.

The average depth of target for his five highest games was 9.56. The average depth of his lowest games was 6.1. It's not a perfect metric, but it does showcase a change in game planning. In each of the three losses, LSU threw just two deep passes.

The thing is, Leavitt has actually been solid when throwing deep. Pro Football Focus has graded him a 94.0 passer on deep attempts, 91.4 on medium throws and down at 75.7 on short passes.

The Tigers need these explosive plays on top of the quick stuff. There's no cashing in on the setup if you don't let Leavitt use his arm to stretch the field.

Now, LSU has no reason to play scared through the air. The quick game has reached it's limit. They might as well lean into what Leavitt has found success with.

The Tigers' offensive line has been a major weakness for them this season, so it's unfortunate for them that they now have to face a very strong defense. That side of the ball is what is keeping the Longhorns alive. They have plenty of athletes in that unit, but Simmons and Biles are certainly the two most dangerous.

Simmons is tied for the NCAA lead with 10.5 sacks and also tied for the lead with 16 total tackles for a loss. He's an incredible player who is going to be starting on Sundays a year from now. LSU will have its hands full trying to slow him down, even with a great athlete like Jordan Seaton at left tackle. Simmons will also attack from the other side, which is a bit scarier for the Tigers, as right tackle has been a problem for a while.

Biles is another next-level athlete. He does it all over at linebacker. He's right behind Simmons in both TFLs (10.0) and sacks (4.0) while leading the team in forced fumbles (3), interceptions (3) and passes defensed (6). While Simmons attacks on the outside, Biles can wreck games up the middle. All LSU linemen have to be on notice every single snap.