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Must-win for UT at LSU? Can A&M upset Tennessee? UH in CFP? | A Texas take on college football

Columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden tackle 10 questions ahead of this week's games: Is this game against LSU a must-win for Texas in terms of the College Football Playoff?

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•2 min read•Updated November 13, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC
Key points
  • If the Cowboys can beat Texas Tech in Stillwater, the Cougars can move up the Big 12 standings a bit, but the odds of the dominoes falling into place to somehow force a tiebreaker and get into the title game … I'm not saying it's impossible because Big 12 history tells us anything can happen.
  • The two best players in college football are wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Malachi Toney, but a below-average quarterback at Ohio State and ankle surgery for Toney have hurt their causes.
  • It's been a tough season for Texas A&M and coach Mike Elko, but an upset over Tennessee would change the equation.

Martinez/Austin American-Statesman) Is a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line for Texas as the Longhorns t ravel to Baton Rouge to face LSU?

With four wins over ranked opponents and two over teams in the top 10, the Horns will make it even if they lose to LSU, as long as they take care of business against Arkansas and Texas A&M.

Additional details
  • They have only one signature win, over Oklahoma State, and one-score losses to Texas Tech and Utah, but are poised to break through if Tech and BYU stumble.
  • Tennessee isn't a road juggernaut, but good defense travels, and the Volunteers will do enough to keep a reeling Aggies offense under wraps in a 24-20 win.
  • It's more of a need-to-win game to remove postseason uncertainty and pretty much guarantee a CFP spot for the third time in four years.
  • Texas running back Raleek Brown will again be a key factor for taking pressure off quarterback Arch Manning against LSU.
  • To deliver a 31-28 win, Texas needs to allow no more than two sacks and produce at least 100 yards on the ground.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Yahoo SportsNovember 13, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC →

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