It’s a big one on Saturday night in Death Valley. A week after LSU took a big loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, it doesn’t get any easier as Arch Manning and the Longhorns travel into the Bayou with intentions of keeping their top-10 spot in the College Football Playoff bracket.

But can they get the job done in arguably the toughest environment in the sport? Death Valley at night? Our college football analysts make their picks.

LSU 30, Texas 27

As someone who covers Alabama here at A to Z Sports, what you saw last week was the Crimson Tide at their best, coming off a bye and with multiple starters back. It was a perfect storm for an LSU team still assimilating under Lane Kiffin in year one.

But I have the Tigers bouncing back this week. Blake Baker and the blys are going up to heat up Arch Manning and force him into deep waters. We have seen him get rattled at times and make bad errors. I think that happens here, and LSU keeps its season alive. – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Alabama.

Texas 26, LSU 16

This is a game that had plenty of sizzle before the season, but the stakes are somewhat lowered with LSU effectively being out of playoff contention coming into Saturday. The Longhorns have turned things around since a mid-October loss to Florida and control their path to a playoff berth and likely home playoff game at minimum. The Tigers hit a wall last Saturday in a 31-13 home loss to Alabama.

Sam Leavitt and the Tigers offense moved the ball but couldn’t turn it into points against the Tide. The sledding will be tougher against an even better Texas defense. This one stays in the teens until the fourth quarter, when Arch Manning engineers a drive to put Texas in control and clear their biggest final hurdle to 10-2. – Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Miami Hurricanes

Texas 27, LSU 20

I have Texas coming away with a hard-fought 27-20 win over LSU in a game that comes down to which quarterback makes the fewest mistakes. I think Arch Manning will be the more composed quarterback when it matters most. He doesn’t need to have a spectacular performance, but he needs to make the routine throws, avoid costly turnovers and take advantage of the opportunities LSU gives him. Sam Leavitt will have his moments, but I expect him to make one more critical mistake than Manning, and that ends up being the difference in a tightly contested game.

This is a massive opportunity for Texas to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Longhorns have very little margin for error at this point in the season, and a loss would put them in a difficult position heading down the stretch. I expect their defense to make a few key stops late, while Manning does enough offensively to get them across the finish line. It might not be pretty, but Texas gets the job done, improves its playoff outlook and keeps its postseason aspirations very much alive. – Ryan Roberts, A to Z Sports Notre Dame

LSU 27, Texas 21

The Texas Longhorns are going into this game under a lot of pressure. After looking like a team that shouldn’t even be ranked early in the season, they have bounced back and are firmly in the conversation for a CFP spot. But that’s if they win out. I have LSU beating them in this one simply because I’m trusting Lane Kiffin to fix last week’s issues more than Steve Sarkisian. And I’m not sure Texas’ offense can do the job. – Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Oklahoma

Texas 27, LSU 17

Last week, I didn’t think that Texas would beat Missouri due to the struggles of Arch Manning paired with the amount of injuries to key players they are dealing with. One thing that I didn’t see coming that I should have was the raw talent stepping up paired with a great Arch game, who’s inconsistencies this season have been real.

With Texas being in the top-10 of the College Football Playoff, they are guaranteed to make it if they win out, and Lane Kiffin has struggled mightily against top-10 teams. That continues here, as LSU spirals the same way they did under Brian Kelly. – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Florida Gators

Texas 30, LSU 24

This game was expected to have much higher stakes, but LSU’s loss to Alabama all but ends its hopes of making the College Football Playoff. Now, Texas is in a position where it needs to go to LSU and win, or it could find itself in a similar spot with three losses. The Longhorns got a solid outing from Arch Manning in Week 10 in a win over Missouri, and they’re going to need another one against a good LSU defense.

LSU is going to have to run the ball better in this one to have a chance, and Sam Leavitt can’t afford to turn the ball over. I think Texas is going to go on the road and win this game, despite being rather banged up lately. Steve Sarkisian failing to reach the College Football Playoff with the expectations surrounding Texas would be a nightmare. The Longhorns stay alive for another week and pick up another quality win. – Brandon Little A to Z Sports Ohio State