Texas’ Sam Ehlinger puts Tim Tebow comparisons to the test vs. LSU

Sam Ehlinger needs to live up to the Tim Tebow comparisons to lead Texas to an upset win over LSU.

This will be the biggest game of Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s career.

The Longhorns’ resurgence in 2018 was capped by a Big 12 championship appearance, but Texas couldn’t finish the deal. Now, with expectations of a College Football Playoff appearance in 2019, another playoff contender stands in their way. The LSU Tigers are perennial contenders, and they will be a tough test for Ehlinger and company tonight. In order to win, Ehlinger needs to channel his inner Tim Tebow and come up with a special performance.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit compared Ehlinger to Tebow in an interview with FanSided’s Patrick Schmidt before the season.

"“He runs through tackles. He gets into the red zone. He’s like a fullback. And when quarterbacks play like that in the college game, it has a way of impacting the rest of the team. They get fired up to see their quarterback playing like a tough guy. Think of Tim Tebow at Florida. Make a big run, get up. You got blood coming off his elbows, just dirt everywhere, and he’s not your typical quarterback. And that’s Sam Ehlinger. Grew up his whole life wanting to be the quarterback in Austin for the Texas Longhorns. And now he’s been that for the last few years. I think the game will really slow down for him.”"

The comparison makes a lot of sense. Ehlinger is a tough runner who isn’t afraid to take on tacklers and is a very good passer when healthy.

He has all the tools, but this won’t be a walk in the park. LSU boasts a very good defense, riddled with the stars of tomorrow’s NFL, including a secondary led by junior safety Grant Delpit and senior cornerback Kristian Fulton.

Ehlinger will get some help from an experienced offensive line, and a very good wide receiver group, led by senior Collin Johnson. However, the running back situation isn’t great at the moment, with injuries all over the place.

That’s where his inner Tebow comes in. Ehlinger will have to make plays through the air, and pick up key yards on the ground, showing the world he can do it all.

Tebow came up in the clutch so many times for the Gators in the past. It’s now Ehlinger’s turn to come up clutch, in the biggest game for the Texas Longhorns in a long time. With a home crowd, everything is there for him. He just has to go take it.