Sizing Up Texas on LSU's 2026 Schedule

The LSU Tigers will have their first shot at the Texas Longhorns since the SEC accepted Texas into the conference in 2024. It comes at a perfect time for LSU.

The Tigers underwent a massive regime change, ushering in the Lane Kiffin era and a slew of players alongside him. The Longhorns are attempting to reclaim their spot in the College Football Playoff after barely missing the 12-team cutoff a season ago.

It's obviously unclear where both teams will stand by the time this game kicks off, but if everything goes to plan, these two heavyweights should be competing for a spot in the SEC championship game.

The Final Home Game for LSU Could Be the Toughest

Caden Durham 29 breaks a tackle and scores a touchdown. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

An easy SEC schedule rarely exists. The conference consistently produces quality playoff teams, and at some point, two playoff-esque teams will clash.

The Tigers will have played a home game against Alabama the week before. The Longhorns will hit the road to take on Missouri before coming to Baton Rouge. By the time LSU and Texas meet, the playoff implications could be massive.

LSU's non-conference schedule features Clemson, Louisiana Tech, and McNeese. Their conference schedule is more complicated. It either presents teams that are coming off great seasons or programs that really struggled.

The quality opponents feature Ole Miss (9/19), Texas A&M (9/26), Alabama (11/7), and Texas (11/14). All of those teams occupied four of the five top spots in the conference.

That means the Tigers have to take care of business against "beatable" opponents ahead of the Texas game. If they do that, a win against the Longhorns could be the last major hurdle to get a spot in the CFP.

Even at home, this game will not be easy for Lane Kiffin and company. Texas, under Steve Sarkisian, has one of the most talented rosters in the country.

They did an excellent job retaining key players, as they'll bring back 12 starters from last year. But they also attacked the transfer portal, acquiring guys like wide receiver Cam Coleman, running back Raleek Brown, and linebacker Rasheem Biles.

The stakes could be massive for both teams. In an ideal world, both teams would love to be undefeated heading into this game. But with the distribution of talent across the conference, they could be entering this matchup with a loss.

An LSU win likely gives control of their own path to the CFP. It could be a program-defining victory for Kiffin.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google