Texas Bowl Preview: LSU Navigates Transition While Houston Eyes 10-Win Finish at Home
When LSU and No. 21 Houston square off in the Texas Bowl, they’ll be doing so from two very different vantage points. One program is closing the book on a turbulent season, while the other is riding momentum and eyeing a milestone win to cap off a strong campaign.
Let’s start with LSU. The Tigers entered the 2025 season with College Football Playoff aspirations and the talent to back it up.
At one point, they climbed as high as No. 3 in the rankings. But things unraveled quickly - three losses in four games midseason led to the dismissal of head coach Brian Kelly, and the Tigers never fully recovered.
Now, LSU is in transition mode. Lane Kiffin is set to take the reins after being hired away from Ole Miss, but he won’t be on the sidelines for the bowl game. That duty falls to interim head coach Frank Wilson, who’s finishing out his second stint with the program before heading to join Kiffin’s staff in Oxford.
For Wilson, the focus is squarely on the players who are still in the building.
“The priority is our current football team,” Wilson said this week. “There’s a 2025 team that I’ve been a part of from the beginning that has one more game to finish.”
That 2025 team, however, will be missing some of its biggest names. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane, standout linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins, and starting wide receiver Aaron Anderson are among the key players who have opted out of the bowl game.
Still, Wilson made it clear that LSU never considered skipping the postseason and expects the players who do suit up to carry the program’s standard with pride.
“It’s important to finish what we started the right way,” he said. “Any time you put our brand on the field, it garners excitement. Any time you wear that helmet, there’s an expectation and standard of going out and playing with high enthusiasm and fierce effort.”
That effort will be led by quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., who stepped in during the final three games of the regular season after Nussmeier went down. Van Buren completed 62.4% of his passes for 743 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions - solid numbers that show promise, especially given the circumstances.
He’ll be facing a Houston defense that’s been rock-solid all year, anchored by interior lineman Carlos Allen Jr. Allen leads all FBS interior defensive linemen with 75 tackles - a rare stat line for a player at his position, and a testament to his motor and instincts in the trenches.
On the other side of the ball, Houston quarterback Conner Weigman has been a dual-threat force. He’s thrown for 21 touchdowns, added 11 more on the ground, and completed 64% of his passes. Yes, he’s also thrown nine interceptions, but his ability to keep defenses honest with both his arm and legs has been a major reason the Cougars have reached 9-3.
And unlike LSU, Houston is heading into the Texas Bowl with a full deck. Head coach Willie Fritz confirmed that the Cougars have had virtually no opt-outs and are “pretty darn healthy” heading into Saturday night’s matchup in their home city.
“We realize there will be a lot going on in January,” Fritz said, referring to the looming transfer portal window. “But for now, we have everybody available for this game.”
That’s a big deal for a team that’s already proven it can win on the road - Houston was the only FBS team to go 6-0 away from home during the regular season. Now, they get to close out the year in front of a home crowd, with a shot at their first 10-win season since 2021.
“There aren’t many teams in the country that get double-digit wins,” Fritz said. “That’s always a goal for every team. We just want to finish what we’ve started with this football team.”
So while LSU is looking to end a rocky season on a high note and get a glimpse of its future, Houston is playing for something more immediate - a statement win, a 10th victory, and a chance to put an exclamation point on a season that’s been about building consistency and momentum.
Two teams. Two very different paths. One final game to leave a lasting impression.