Good morning, Tiger Fans,
LSU’s weekend is loaded from top to bottom, and the headliner is obvious: football against Texas on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. But before that one kicks off, there’s a full slate of action around the program, including women’s basketball, baseball, and a major men’s basketball road test.
There’s also an important health update involving former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. A story published yesterday by Our Lady of the Lake says what began as a leg infection escalated into life-threatening sepsis, with Coach O fighting for his life.
By the time he got to the hospital, his blood pressure had fallen to 60/40, and he later spent seven days in intensive care. He credited LSU senior executive director of recruiting and personnel Dwike Wilson, along with the fast work of his medical team at Our Lady of the Lake, for saving his life.
Back on the field, the LSU-Texas matchup brings a second round of the “Who Has the Edge” breakdown, this time focusing on special teams and intangibles.
Special teams is where the Longhorns get the nod. LSU’s unit has had a rough stretch, and last Saturday’s issues - a big punt return allowed, a muffed punt and a missed long field goal - make it hard to side with the Tigers here.
Texas, on the other hand, made noise in that area against Missouri, with a blocked punt standing out as one of the game’s biggest plays. The Longhorns also have one of the nation’s most accurate kickers in Gianni Spetic, who has hit 14 of 15 field goal attempts this season.
That makes this a clear lean toward Texas, even if LSU is hoping for a much cleaner showing on the big stage.
The intangibles, though, point in a different direction. Saturday night in Tiger Stadium carries weight all by itself, and LSU still has plenty on the line despite sitting at 6-3.
ESPN gives the Tigers an 80% chance to make the playoff if they win out, so November still matters in a real way. Add in the fact that this is only the second meeting between LSU and Texas since the 2003 Cotton Bowl, plus the memory of “third-and-17,” and the atmosphere figures to be electric.
It’s also Texas’ first trip to Tiger Stadium since 1953.
Some fans left last Saturday saying they wouldn’t be back this week, but that mood is expected to change once the sun goes down and the Valley comes alive. LSU will need to ride that energy.
Here are the weekly picks after a 9-6 mark last week, which pushed the season record to 103-35 (.746) straight-up:
Mississippi State 27 Auburn 24
Alabama 35 Vanderbilt 17
Tennessee 27 Texas A&M 24
Georgia 34 Missouri 17
Oklahoma 28 Ole Miss 24
Kentucky 28 Florida 21
South Carolina 31 Arkansas 28
Rice 24 Tulane 20
Louisiana Tech 35 Southern Miss 17
Houston Christian 31 Northwestern State 14
Incarnate Word 31 Nicholls 10
Southeastern Louisiana 28 McNeese 17
LSU 27 Texas 24
No. 9 LSU women’s basketball is back tonight at 6 p.m. in the PMAC, where the Tigers will try to move to 4-0 against Denver.
LSU has topped 100 points in each of its first three games, including Tuesday’s 100-43 win over McNeese, a game in which six players reached double figures. Mikaylah Williams led the way with 17 points and eight assists, and Noa Morro added 12 points in her season debut.
Denver comes in after an 86-50 loss to Colorado State and finished 11-19 last season. The game will stream on SEC Network+.
Jay Johnson’s baseball team also gets back on the field tonight, hosting Southeastern Louisiana in a fall exhibition at 5:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium. Admission and parking are free, and gates open at 4 p.m.
Fans will get another look at the Tigers on Sunday, when LSU holds an intra-squad scrimmage at 12:30 p.m., also with free admission. LSU opens its 2027 season on February 19 against Long Island.
On the men’s basketball side, Will Wade’s Tigers face a much bigger measuring stick tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. CT, when they take on No.
14 Gonzaga in Spokane. LSU is 3-0 and has won each of its first three games by more than 40 points, but this one is a different kind of challenge against one of the nation’s premier programs.
And finally, best of luck to the Louisiana high school football teams starting their road to the Dome this weekend. The LHSAA playoffs opened last night, with most first-round games set for tonight.
In Other News...
LSU Just Got A Texas Week Injury Twist Fans Needed
LSUs second injury report for the Texas game brought a little more clarity on a few key names, and for a matchup this big, every update matters. Whit Weeks is listed as questionable, while starting right tackle Weston Davis is probable, giving the Tigers at least some encouraging news as they keep sorting through the final details before kickoff.
Gabe Reliford being removed from the report is another notable development, since it points to a possible return after his ACL tear and adds another layer to LSUs defensive depth. On the other side, Texas may be getting a boost of its own, with star edge rusher Colin Simmons no longer appearing on the report after a high ankle sprain, leaving both teams with a little more intrigue as the game gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Kewan Lacys Next Move Could Matter More To LSU Than Expected
Ole Miss will be without Kewan Lacy for the rest of the 2026 season after a shoulder injury shut him down, a development that lands with more ripple effects than it might seem at first glance. Lacy had already missed recent games and spent much of the year dealing with injuries, so his season has been defined as much by availability as production, even as his name has still carried weight around the SEC.
For LSU, the broader interest is less about what happened this fall than what comes next for a player whose path is suddenly uncertain. Lacy could eventually be looking at the transfer portal or the 2027 NFL Draft, but for now the main question is how this latest setback shapes his timeline and whether it changes the market around him once the offseason begins. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Pass Rusher Is Now At Center Of A Messy Ole Miss Fight
Princewill Umanmielens move to LSU has spilled into a legal fight that reaches back to his time at Ole Miss, where he signed a revenue-sharing contract for the 2026 season before transferring. Umanmielen is now contesting that deal, saying he was under undue pressure from Ole Miss coaches when he agreed to it, and his side is also arguing that the damages Ole Miss is seeking are unreasonable.
Ole Miss has sued Umanmielen for $550,000 plus legal fees tied to the buyout, and the school has taken a similar step against former Rebel Devin Harper. LSU, for its part, has declined to pay the buyouts and says it is not a party to those contracts, leaving Umanmielen in the middle of a dispute that could have implications well beyond one players transfer. [Read more 🡒]