“Welcome to Death Valley, where opponents’ dreams come to die.”
The Longhorns have struggled mightily in the non-conference for the past few seasons, losing their big-time games. Going 1-1 against Notre Dame, 1-1 against USC, 0-2 against Maryland, and now this season’s loss against LSU, Texas has not swept a home and home series against a Power 5 opponent since defeating North Carolina in 2001 and 2002.
Going into Death Valley is tough for any team in the country, let alone a team that is not used to playing in that kind of atmosphere. It will be even harder for the Longhorns after what LSU accused Texas of doing and the intensity of the matchup.
However, it will not be the same Tiger team that showed up in Austin this season. Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow will be in the NFL and LSU will have a new quarterback. Mix in a few other losses throughout the team and it should be a weakened version of the 2019 LSU team. Despite all of that, the atmosphere of Death Valley makes it nearly impossible to be comfortable until you have pulled out a victory.
Having to play LSU on the road will be the toughest thing Texas will have to do all season. With revenge on their mind, the Longhorns can open the 2020 season with a statement win, gaining momentum for the season. If they are unable to pull out a victory like this season, it will only be an uphill climb in Big 12 play.