LSU’s 2026 schedule has a game that stands out above the rest, and it comes late enough in the year to shape the entire SEC picture.
On November 14, the Tigers will host Texas in Baton Rouge in a matchup that could go a long way toward deciding who reaches Atlanta for the SEC championship game. It will be the first meeting between LSU and Texas since the Longhorns entered the SEC in 2024.
The last time these teams played was in September 2019, when LSU won 45-38 during its national championship run. This next one brings plenty of star power back to the stage, with Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian on the sidelines and Sam Leavitt and Arch Manning at quarterback.
Texas enters 2026 after a 9-3 season, despite opening the year as the highest-ranked team in the Preseason AP Poll. The Longhorns are also bringing back a strong group of key players and added to it with an impressive transfer portal haul.
LSU, meanwhile, is still settling into a new era under Kiffin. There’s real uncertainty around how quickly everything will come together, even though the roster looks capable of making a playoff push. The Tigers open with home games against Clemson and Louisiana Tech before heading to Ole Miss for their SEC opener.
By the time Texas arrives, LSU should have a much clearer identity. Ideally for the Tigers, they’ll be sitting at zero or one loss and ready for a game with massive implications.
That home edge matters. LSU has gone 21-2 at home since 2023, and Death Valley figures to be loud and hostile when Texas comes to town. That kind of environment could make things tough on the Longhorns’ offense.
Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss will all have their eyes on the SEC race too, but an LSU win in this one could be the kind that sends the Tigers to the conference title game and the College Football Playoff.
In Other News...
Why The Delane Name Suddenly Matters Again At LSU
A familiar name is back in the LSU defensive backfield, and this time it belongs to a safety with a little college experience already under his belt. Faheem Delane arrived from Ohio State after appearing in 13 games as a backup last season, giving LSU another option in a room that already has established pieces and clear roles entering the year.
The family tie only adds to the intrigue, since Faheem is the younger brother of LSU All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane. For now, the expectation is that he opens the upcoming season behind Ty Benefield, but LSU has a way of turning depth-chart footnotes into meaningful contributors, especially in the secondary. [Read more 🡒]
LSU May Have Just Caught A Huge Break With RJ Luis
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For LSU, the timing matters. Luis is now expected to regain eligibility for the Tigers next season, though the NCAA still has to implement the ruling before it fully takes effect. For a program always watching roster flexibility closely, it is the kind of development that can quietly reshape offseason plans while the larger legal fight over eligibility continues. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Brown Is Giving LSU Fans A New Reason To Watch Camp
LSUs summer roster overhaul has been built around the transfer portal, with Lane Kiffin landing what has been billed as the nations highest-ranked portal class in an effort to push the Tigers from a seven-win team into the SEC title race. Princewill Umammielen, Jordan Ross and Malik Blocton headline that group, but as fall camp opens, there is another name drawing attention from people around the program: 2026 defensive tackle Lamar Brown.
Brown arrives with the kind of athleticism and upside that can make a camp worth following even before the pads come fully on, and the expectation is that he will compete for playing time sooner rather than later. Whether he becomes an immediate factor is still to be determined, but his presence adds another layer to a defense that is already trying to absorb a wave of new talent while sorting out how quickly all of it can translate on the field. [Read more 🡒]