Overview
- Kickoff is 9:15 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston, with national coverage on ESPN and streaming on the ESPN app and Fubo.
- Interim coach Frank Wilson will lead LSU for the final time, and multiple reports indicate he will join Pete Golding’s staff at Ole Miss after the game.
- Lane Kiffin, hired Nov. 30 on a seven-year deal, will not coach the bowl and is set to take over the program in 2026.
- LSU is missing several key players due to injuries and opt-outs, including quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and defenders AJ Haulcy, Mansoor Delane, Harold Perkins Jr., Jack Pyburn, and both Whit and West Weeks.
- Houston enters 9-3 with a local crowd edge and a healthy Weigman, and sportsbooks list the Cougars as slight favorites at roughly 2.5 to 3 points with a total near 41.5.