Lane Kiffin Era Hyped by CFB Fans Despite LSU's Loss vs. Houston in Texas Bowl

LSU will start out the Lane Kiffin era by looking to bounce back from a Texas bowl loss to Houston.

Frank Wilson III capped off his tenure as the Tigers' interim coach with a 38-35 defeat on Saturday night at NRG Stadium.

LSU made a late push to tie the game with a late touchdown drive, but ultimately overran an attempt to recover a Houston onside kick in the final minutes of the loss.

Kiffin may not have been coaching the Tigers yet, but he was still present on the sidelines for the start of LSU's last game of the 2025 season.

The incoming head coach announced his presence in Houston by sharing a photo of himself with former LSU star and current New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.

Kiffin left Ole Miss ahead of the Rebels' trip to the 2025 College Football Playoff in order to sign a seven-year contract with the Tigers ahead of the 2026 season.

Some LSU fans expressed excitement about Kiffin getting the chance to work next season with players like tight end Trey'Dez Green, who showed off his athleticism while making four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

Other fans are hoping Kiffin will begin his LSU tenure by rehauling parts of the roster, potentially including an offensive line that at times struggled to protect Tigers quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. on Saturday night.

LSU won a national title in 2019 under Ed Orgeron, but didn't make it into either of the first two expanded playoffs under former head coach Brian Kelly.

The Tigers will hope bringing in Kiffin can put the program on track for a trip back to the playoff in 2026.