LSU Football Tries To Salvage Season With Texas Bowl Bid

It has been a wild ride for the LSU Tigers this year...and that might be putting it lightly. After a season that saw the end of the Brian Kelly era and a 7-5 finish, many fans in Shreveport and Bossier City were just hoping for the season to end. But the Tigers aren't done yet, as they have officially punched their ticket to the postseason. LSU has accepted a bid to play in the Texas Bowl against the Houston Cougars.

This isn't the playoff run we were all dreaming about back in August, but it is a chance to end this chaotic year on a high note. The Texas Bowl will take place on Saturday, December 27th, at NRG Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is set for 8:15 PM, so you have plenty of time to recover from your Christmas food coma before settling in for some football.

Is This The First Test For The Lane Kiffin Era?

While Frank Wilson will be handling the Head Coaching duties for the actual game, make no mistake...Lane Kiffin is watching. The new head ball coach has arrived in Baton Rouge, and every single player on that roster knows they are playing for their future. This bowl game is essentially a massive, televised job interview for the 2026 roster.

Kiffin is already looking at the transfer portal and recruiting trails to rebuild this team into his image. If the current players want a seat on the "Lane Train" next season, they need to show out against Houston. A lack of effort in this game could be the difference between starting in Tiger Stadium next fall or looking for a new home in the portal.

LSU Shows Honor While Others Quit On Their Teams

You have to give credit where credit is due...LSU is doing the right thing by playing this game. We are seeing a disturbing trend this year with programs like Notre Dame, Iowa State, and Kansas State deciding to just take their ball and go home. These schools dishonorably pulled out of their bowl obligations because things didn't go their way, or they lost a coach. Well guess what, LSU also had a coaching change, yet here they are gearing up for their bowl assignment. Because its not just the "right thing to do" for the bowl committees, host cities, TV networks, and sponsors...its the right thing for those seniors on the team.

It would be really hard to convince anyone who put pads on for the final time in their life, that the players in these programs who are going to be ending their playing days forever, don't want one more game.

It would have been easy for LSU to do the same things, throw a temper tantrum and refuse a bowl game, after a disappointing 7-5 finish and a coaching change. But the Tigers are showing up...they are honoring their commitment to the fans, the seniors, and the sport itself. While Notre Dame pouts about missing the playoff, LSU is strapping on the helmets one more time to represent Louisiana. That is the kind of character we want to see from a program.