Louisiana Ragin Cajuns vs. Texas Longhorns Odds & Game Pick (2021)

Sep 2, 2021 - 10:02 AM

The Sarkisian era officially gets underway this Saturday as first-year Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian makes his debut following unsuccessful regimes of Charlie Strong and Tom Herman. Things could get very real and quickly for the first-year coach, as the Longhorns welcome Billy Napier and the Sun Belt favorite Ragin Cajuns.

Will Napier and this veteran lead Ragin Cajun team pull the first big outright upset of the year? Let’s take a closer look.

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Details

• Opening Line: Texas -10, O/U 58
• Current Line: Texas -8, O/U 58
• Last meeting: August 30, 2014, Georgia 45, Clemson 21

	LOUISIANA	+8 -110	o58 -110	+260
	TEXAS	-8 -110	u58 -110	-365

Overview 

For coach Sark, Saturday will mark another notch on the Nick Saban coaching tree as the former Alabama offensive analyst (then coordinator) gets another shot at head coaching following an unsuccessful stint at USC just a few years ago. To be successful, as always, Sark will have to first find his gunslinger, which by all accounts will be true freshman Hudson Card, at least to start.

On the defensive side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatowski has his work cut out for him as well. The depth at the linebacking and cornerback positions are cause for concern heading into the season.

For fourth-year head coach Billy Napier, things have never been better. After going 7-7 in his first season, he’s followed up with an 11-3 and 10-1 season, being in the conference title conversation each year. Not only does he get 10 starters back on each side of the ball this season, but he returns both coordinators and comes in with as much stability as any program in the country.

Levi Lewis returns for the Ragin Cajuns at the quarterback position, coming in off 2,274 and 19:7 touchdown to interception ratio. On the defensive side of the ball, Louisiana will look to improve on a campaign in which they allowed just 22 points per game with the #4 passing defense in the country.

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Trends 

• Lousiana is 2-20 all-time vs. Big 12 foes
• Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is 16-13 ATS vs. non-conference foes

Bottom Line 

Not only did this Lousiana team open up against a Power 5 opponent last season, but they beat them outright on the road as 11-point underdogs. While this will be a decidedly different task, as they’ll be in front of 95,000 roaring fans in Austin, I think this one ends up close. In Napier’s three seasons at the helm, the Cajuns are 7-1-2 as an away underdog, and his ability to make his guys tick is second to none in the Group of 5.

Ragin’ Cajun fan’s only concern this season should be is the last they can retain him.

Pick: Louisiana +8

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