Death Valley played host to another thriller on Saturday night. Unfortunately, for the home team, the LSU Tigers lost to the Texas Longhorns after giving up a touchdown in the closing seconds of the game.
It was an emotional loss that effectively eliminated LSU from College Football Playoff contention. After the game, those emotions were on full display. Several Tigers and Longhorns were seen mouthing off at one another before being separated. Perhaps most surprisingly, LSU mascot, Mike the Tiger, was among those going after a Texas player.
The incident went viral. You can view it, here:
It’s a bad look for LSU, even if it’s also a very funny look. More concerning were several other videos that came out following the game. That included one video where students were chanting, “F*** Sam Leavitt,” clearly upset with their quarterback after his 3 interception game. Leavitt, incidentally, was caught on video leaving the field before the alma mater.
LSU brought in head coach Lane Kiffin to be national championship contenders. Through one season, that hasn’t happened and frustrations are running high.
LSU Tigers Head Coach Lane Kiffin Admits He Needs to be Better
LSU made a massive investment in Lane Kiffin, to the tune of a $91 million contract. They’ve also made a massive investment in this roster, with estimates in the range of $50 million for the 2026 season alone.
Now, LSU has four losses, all of which came against the four Top 25 opponents they’ve played. More was expected of Kiffin, which he acknowledged following the Texas loss.
“It doesn’t matter if the game’s been close or they go down to the last whatever, six seconds,” Kiffin said. “I’m brought here to win, and we need to win more than that.”
Kiffin also emphasized, as he’s done a few times this season, that it takes time to build. This is just year one for his staff at LSU.
“Also, everything isn’t built for the first year when you come in somewhere,” Kiffin said. “I would tell you that if we were undefeated right now. You build things, and they take a little bit of time.”
What’s Next for LSU?
LSU isn’t going to be going to the College Football Playoff this year. The Tigers won’t be going to the SEC Championship. Still, the season isn’t over, and it would go a long way for Kiffin if he can finish up on a high note.
LSU is going to be tested once again next week. The Tigers go on the road to take on a Top 10 Tennessee Volunteers team at Neyland Stadium. There, they’ll be pretty significant underdogs. After that, they’ll wrap up the year against the Arkansas Razorbacks, who have struggled in their own right under a first-year head coach.
With six wins already, LSU will also be bowl eligible. What bowl they end up going to, however, remains to be seen.
After that, Kiffin will face a long offseason of questions. In particular, he’s going to be asked to fix the quarterback position and restock the roster with the talent needed to make what will then be a 24-team College Football Playoff.
LSU Mascot Mike the Tiger Tries to Fight Texas Player Following Loss