Longhorns At LSU: Who's Predicting Texas Fantastic Finish Toward CFP?

In this curvy, crazy, counterintuitive Texas Longhorns’ season, who woulda thunk:

*Their best win of the season would come over Tennessee back on Sept. 26?

*Arch Manning would fall completely off the Heisman Trophy map, leap-frogged by the likes of quarterbacks named Devon Damper (Utah), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), Keelon Russell (Alabama) and Gunner Stockton (Georgia)?

*The star quarterback’s best “play” would be apologizing to ESPN’s Holly Rowe?

*They’d lose offensive stars in left tackle Trevor Goosby and running back Hollywood Smothers and still find a way to be 7-2?

*Unranked Florida and Oklahoma would be 2-0 against the Horns, and 8-8 against the rest of the world?

Despite the dramatic twists and turns, a three-game winning streak helped by last week’s victory at Missouri has head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team set up for a stretch run that could still somehow land it hosting a home game in the College Football Playoff and possibly even earning a first-round bye.

In this week’s CFP rankings Texas inched up from No. 7 to No. 6. They play at LSU Saturday night, somehow as a 4-point underdog to a reeling team that lost by 18 in Baton Rouge last week.

“I could argue this is the most talented defense we're going to go against this year and arguably the most talented team,” Sarkisian said this week. “It's hard to say how they lost three games.”

The same could be said about Texas’ blown-lead losses to the Sooners and Gators. Still, with a quality road win over LSU the Horns will be set up for a fast finish. Their final two games are against Arkansas and Texas A&M, who are a combined 2-10 in SEC games.

Are we ready to predict a hot streak for UT?

Sitting at No. 6, Texas is in line to host a first-round playoff game. That ranking would be higher if not for the shocking free-falls by what was once thought to be two of its best wins. Ohio State and Ole Miss were both clobbered last week, falling well out of the 12-team field.

Even before the season we knew this marquee game at LSU game would be pivotal. The path to it has been unpredictable, but a victory nonetheless would vault the Horns toward their original desired destination.