The Texas Longhorns are overwhelmingly favored against Mississippi State this week. Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor is out for the season, and the Longhorns have several advantages they can exploit.

However, everyone knows that anything can happen in the SEC. It's an unpredictable conference, and Texas hasn't necessarily earned a vote of confidence every week.

Mississippi State could keep this game competitive if it exploits this advantage.

MSU's Third-Down Offense vs. Texas' Third-Down Offense

The Bulldogs rank third in the SEC in total first downs per game (23.57). Their third-down conversion rate sits at 43 percent, four points higher than Texas.

Last week, Mississippi State's poor third-down offense was an outlier. The Bulldogs are typically successful on third down, which could be troublesome for the Longhorns. Over their last three games, Texas' offense has been 8-for-37 (21.6%) on third down.

The Longhorns have failed to convert at least four third-down plays since Sept. 19 against UTSA. While Texas knocked off Ole Miss last week, its third-down offense is concerning. Steve Sarkisian's offense must sustain drives and keep the Bulldogs' offense off the field.

The Longhorns are coming off a massive win, but Sarkisian knows his team isn't perfect. Simple mistakes could cost a winnable game.

"Let me be the first to tell you. We were not perfect tonight, by any means. We had an opportunity to be closer to perfect, but we get sack fumbled. They get a touchdown. They get momentum. We got 14 penalties for 134 yards. We're 3 of 13 on third down," Sarkisian said after the Ole Miss win. "So there's things in the game that we need to come back and we need to fix. Okay, but I'm proud of our team, but I know there's even better out there for us, and there's going to need to be better coming from us as we move forward in our conference."

The key for Mississippi State to hang around is the turnover battle, winning on third down, and Texas making disciplinary mistakes. If the Longhorns don't beat themselves, this game shouldn't be close. Sarkisian's team has more talent and is tough to beat at home.

But if the Bulldogs convert on third down and make Will Muschamp's defense work, this game could get too close for Sarkisian's liking. This matchup will be interesting to watch, and the team that adjusts better could win.