COVID-19 has taken away a lot in the sports world, especially in college football. The Big Ten and Pac-12 canceled their seasons, instead opting for a spring season beginning in January.
The ACC, Big 12, and SEC currently have plans in place to play a season. Nonconference matchups are still an option for ACC and Big 12 teams, while the SEC will be playing a 10 game, conference only schedule.
However, if the ACC and Big 12 teams want to play nonconference games, they must be at their home stadium. This left schools with no choice but to play smaller schools that had flexibility on their schedule.
Because of this, marquee matchups such as Alabama–USC, Texas-LSU, and Tennessee–Oklahoma were not only canceled but will possibly never be played.
From the perspective of Texas, losing the return trip to LSU is nearly catastrophic. While the Longhorns lost to the eventual national champions in 2019, the game itself was Texas’ most entertaining of the season.
Add in the electric atmosphere of Death Valley and the Sept. 12 matchup was staged to be the most exciting game of the college football season. Watching Sam Ehlinger lead the Longhorns into Baton Rouge in a marquee nonconference game would have shown where Texas stands on a national level.
This will leave people wondering what could have been from both teams.
Could Texas have declared themselves to be “back” and strive towards a national championship with a win?
Or would have LSU doubled up the Longhorns and proved they deserve to be taken seriously for a back-to-back championship run?
Stewart Mandel of The Athletic gave a prediction, saying LSU would have not only beaten Texas but done it by double digits.
I was at the game last year in Austin, when we first found out that this was not your grandfather’s LSU offense. Joe Burrow stole the show, but Sam Ehlinger wasn’t too shabby himself (461 yards, 5 TDs). I would have expected a better showing from LSU’s defense this time around, while Myles Brennan and Ja’Marr Chase showed that the Tigers, while not as otherworldly as in 2019, can still do some damage. LSU 28, Texas 17
Replacing Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow is not going to be easy for head coach Ed Orgeron. Myles Brennan is going to take over and having the receiving combination of Ja’Marr Chase and Terrance Marshall is going to help.
However, Texas’ defense is going to improve from last season’s horror show. Chris Ash would improve the pass rush and the Longhorns’ secondary would have an easier time in coverage without Justin Jefferson terrorizing them.
Tom Herman’s squad may not have come out with a victory but another touchdown margin game seems more likely than all 11 point victory for LSU. Especially with Texas only scoring 17 points in Mandel’s prediction.
For a few years, a ‘what if’ question will arise when talking about the trip to Baton Rouge. With no rescheduling of the game insight, we may never find out.
Who knows, Texas could have used that win and started a national championship run. Just as LSU did last season.
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