By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU and Texas meet in Tiger Stadium for the first time in over 70 years on Saturday night, with much more at stake than that 1953 season opener. The Tigers enter as 4.5-point favorites, but they were also favored in losses to Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama this season. The crew on ESPN’s “College GameDay” was split 2-2 in its predictions of the Southeastern Conference showdown in Boise, Idaho.
No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-3 SEC) and No. 6 Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) face a potential playoff elimination game in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night (6:30 p.m., ABC). Lane Kiffin’s Tigers have looked like national title contenders at times this season but have not been able to come up in big games against top conference opponents. Texas, meanwhile, has dropped a pair of ugly upsets but has come out on top in some of the biggest games in college football this season.
Former Michigan wide receiver and 1991 Heisman Trophy Winner Desmond Howard was the first voice in favor of the Tigers, but he made his pick on behalf of a special guest that joined the show – a young Boise State fan fulfilling his Make-A-Wish dream.
“My buddy Luca’s favorite team is LSU, so go “Bayou Bengals” for Luca,” Howard said.
Seven-time national champion former LSU and Alabama head coach Nick Saban was left with another kind of personal dilemma. Both Kiffin and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian spent three seasons working on Saban’s Alabama staff.
“I don’t like to pick against former assistants who did a great job for me,” he said. “And I think they both want me to pick the other team.”
“What are you gonna do?” Former Ohio State quarterback and longtime ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit asked.
“Take LSU,” Saban replied.
Pat McAfee, a former NFL All-Pro and West Virginia All-American punter and kicker, helped even out Saban’s pick between his former offensive coordinators.
“I will take Texas then for you, just because I believe in what Arch (Manning) has done since the threat of potentially not playing anymore,” McAfee said. “Give me Texas to get a big-time win.”
After back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida, in which Manning gave up costly turnovers in the fourth quarter, Sarkisian gave extra practice reps to backup quarterback KJ Lacey Jr. Manning was never benched for the freshman, but he has gone 3-0 and thrown for over 200 yards in every game since, including ranked wins against Ole Miss and Missouri.
Celebrity guest picker Ian Johnson, a 2006 first team All-American at Boise State, evened the picks at two for each teams.
“Texas knows how to win big games,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure Lane Kiffin does. I’m taking Texas.”
Kiffin is 15-27 against ranked teams in his career and 6-18 against top 10 teams. Sarkisian’s Longhorns have won 17 games over ranked teams since 2023, the most of any team in college football. They have also won their last six top 25 matchups, the longest active streak in the FBS.
Herbstreit did not pick the game because he will call the ABC broadcast of the matchup.
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