No. 6 Texas at No. 21 LSU live updates: Horns try to overcome travel issues

Nothing about this weekend was ever going to be easy — going into Death Valley and attempting to beat the supremely talented No. 21 LSU Tigers at night in the sixth conference game in six weeks for the No. 6 Texas Longhorns, who have already secured wins against four other ranked opponents.

But Friday’s shocking FAA ground stop threw everything into chaos. Just as the Longhorns were set to depart Austin, the order forced Steve Sarkisian’s team to deplane and return to campus for a meal, walk-though, and meetings before the plane was finally able to depart seven hours late. By the time Texas got to its team hotel in Baton Rouge, it was past midnight.

Now it’s up to a team that Sarkisian lauded for its undeniable toughness last week to turn that inconvenience into a historical footnote instead of an excuse.

Able to keep their Saturday schedule, the Horns expect to perform well at Tiger Stadium, according to ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

With a win, Texas has a 95-percent chance to return to the College Football Playoff. With a loss? Down to 60 percent. Those are the stakes on Saturday.