College Gameday Makes Shocking Picks for Texas vs. LSU Week 11 Matchup

After a Friday fiasco that put the Texas Longhorns' primetime matchup against the LSU Tigers in limbo because of a national ground stoppage, the two programs remain set to kick off under the lights in Baton Rouge.

For the Longhorns, who are quietly building the best resume in college football, playing elite football remains at the forefront, while the Tigers, with three losses, are hoping to keep their season alive and find a way back into the College Football Playoff.

The Texas Longhorns On SI Staff made their picks already, which were unanimous for the Longhorns, but the College Gameday crew didn't necessarily agree.

Calling Baton Rouge

Pat McAfee speaks while delivering picks during ESPN’s College GameDay at The Grove in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. The GameDay visit for the Ole Miss-LSU game marks the return of head coach Lane Kiffin since leaving Ole Miss. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Longhorns have looked like a completely different team over the last three weeks of the season, with the offense finding a groove and chugging along under the direction of quarterback Arch Manning, who has been playing some of his best football since stepping on campus.

However, despite the Tigers already having three losses this season, they entered the matchup as favorites according to the betting odds, primarily because of their lethal defensive front, which gets to square off against one of the more struggling offensive lines in college football.

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That led to the College Gameday crew being split on their choices for the game, with Nick Saban even jokingly saying he was sure both coaches wanted him to pick the opposite team, but he ultimately went with the Tigers, as did Desmond Howard.

Desmond Howard: LSU
Nick Saban: LSU
Pat McAfee: Texas
Ian Johnson (Guest Picker): Texas

As the SEC has proven this season, though, anything can happen. That is double the points for Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, who are familiar with each other, having made multiple stops at the same college throughout their careers.

For the Longhorns, who want to prove the game-day crew wrong, protecting Manning will be the most important piece of the game, as the Tigers are the No. 1 defense at bringing down opposing quarterbacks.

The Tigers' offense will be humming, as it has this season, but if the Longhorns can remain elite in the red zone, it will make life tougher for Kiffin and quarterback Sam Leavitt, who have continued to struggle to convert red-zone trips into points.

The Longhorns and the Tigers will kick off in Baton Rouge at 6:30 p.m. CT, and the matchup can be viewed on ABC.

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