By Marcus Moreno

The Bowl season is upon us!

Earlier this week it was announced that the LSU Tigers and the Houston Cougars will face off in this year’s Kinder Texas Bowl. Each year, the BIG 12 and the SEC go head to head in Houston, Texas promising an exciting clash to for the two teams selected. For nearly 2 decades, the Kinder Texas Bowl has been hosted at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, home of Houston’s very own NFL football team, the Houston Texans. 

This bowl game is no stranger to both programs. In previous years; LSU went up against Baylor, winning 44–31 in 2024, and Houston going up against TCU, losing 20–13 in 2007. 

Houston ended their season with a dominant 9-3 record for only their 3rd season in the BIG-12 since the expansion in 2023. This team has had a major turnaround since its previous record of 4-8 back in the 2024 season, and a major difference for this team was the addition of star transfer quarterback from Texas A&M, Conner Wingman, who threw for 2,400+ yards and 24 touchdowns. Since his transfer, Wingman has been a key player for this offense as he as excelled since joining the Cougars in the offseason. Other notable players for the Cougars include; Junior wide receiver, Amare Thomas, who finished this season with 906 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns averaging 15.4 yards a catch. And senior linebacker, Jalen Garner, who recorded a total amount of 75 tackles, 38 of those tackles being solo, and two sacks. 

As for LSU, they finished this year’s season with a 7-5 record. While there is not much of a difference in their previous record from 2024, which they finished 8-4, the Tigers have taken some big hits during this season on and off the field. Most notably the firing of previous head coach Brian Kelly, which came after a significant loss to Texas A&M and which has also recently led to legal disputes. Another big loss for this team was the injury for star linebacker, Whit Weeks, who suffered a significant ankle injury back in late September 2025 against the Ole Miss Rebels, whether he will be returning for the match up against Houston is still unclear. While LSU’s journey has had some pitfalls, they have certainly have had some major peeks. Specifically the recent hiring of now, former Ole Miss Rebel head coach, Lane Kiffin. Kiffin departed from Ole Miss and was hired by LSU on November 30, 2025. It’s safe to say that Kiffin played a significant role in the Rebels recent dominance in college football, as at the time of his departure the team had a record of 10-1, and are now looking forward to compete in this year‘s College Football Playoffs. 

Key LSU players consist of; Senior Quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, who threw for 1,900+ yards and 12 touchdowns, Sophomore Tight-end, Trey-Dez Green, recored 353 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, and defensive players, Senior Linebacker West Weeks, and Senior Safety A.J. Haulcy, who have each record over 70+ Tackles. 

This anticipating bowl game will be filled with thrill and excitement, but most importantly, each team will be making a statement. Can Houston’s recent victorious rhythm prove that their big turn around is not a one time thing and prove they can compete against teams that in the past have been named to be in tougher conferences. And can LSU’s most recent coaching change prove that it was in fact the right decision. Will Lane Kiffin prove that his departure from Ole Miss was in fact the correct decision, but most importantly, will he be able to apply his coaching knowledge and his success, to turn this program into national championship contenders once again? 

The Kinder’s Texas Bowl will be hosted Saturday, December 27th at the NRG Stadium, In Houston, Texas. Kickoff is set at 8:15pm CT.

Cover Photo Credits: USA Today