LSU vs Kansas State: Mercari Texas Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch, Tuesday, January 4
LSU vs Kansas State: Mercari Texas Bowl How To Watch
Date: Tuesday, January 4
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
How To Watch: ESPN, Live stream on ESPN+
Records: Kansas State (7-5), LSU (6-6)
CFN Predictions | Bowl Results
LSU vs Kansas State Mercari Texas Bowl Preview
– It’s the last game before the College Football Playoff National Championship, and it’s going to be … interesting.
The Brian Kelly era isn’t starting yet – offensive line coach Brad Davis will take over for the game, becoming the first African-American head football coach at LSU. He’s going to bring the energy and the commitment, but a slew of starters are questionable.
– Already out is quarterback Max Johnson – he’s transferring – leaving the Tigers with a big problem. There aren’t a lot of great options for the job without costing Garrett Nussmeier a year of eligibility.
The offense has to hope for the ground game to take over early and for the defense to do just enough to keep this close against an inconsistent Kansas State attack.
– Kansas State didn’t have much of a passing game over the last few games of the season and failed to get to 300 total yards in any of them.
However, the defense is good at keeping games close, the pass rush should be good enough to bother whoever is under center for the Tigers, and this isn’t going to be a high-scoring shootout.
Both defensive lines should dictate the action, and it should come doesn’t to who makes the biggest mistakes.
Why LSU, Kansas State Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
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Experts Pick: Texas Bowl, Kansas State vs LSU
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Why Kansas State Will Win The Mercari Texas Bowl
Let’s just say the LSU lineup has a slew of new faces and interesting options.
There’s no reason to sugar coat it – this isn’t the LSU Tiger team of 2021.
Between the coaching change, all of the departures, the guys who got hit with COVID, and a slew of other issues, this is a shadow of the team’s former self, and even that version wasn’t all that great.
Expect a whole lot of underclassmen, a slew of untested parts, and almost no developed depth to rely on.
On the flip side, Kansas State is almost all back full, and that’s starts with QB Skyler Thompson. If he’s truly back to his healthy form, the Wildcats have the backfield and the veterans in all the key parts that LSU doesn’t have.
Defensively, Kansas State was solid during the season, and now it gets an LSU ground game that had a few moments, but was still among the worst in the SEC. Top back Tyrion Davis-Price is off to the NFL …
Again, LSU just doesn’t have the guys. However …
Why LSU Will Win The Mercari Texas Bowl
There’s still talent among the young guys, and there’s more four-star recruit level parts than Kansas State brings.
It might not be the most cohesive of groups, but QB Garrett Nussmeier was a great recruit. RB Corey Kiner was a great recruit. TE Jack Bech caught 43 passes, WR Jaray Jenkins is a veteran, and the starting five on the offensive line isn’t bad.
Yeah, Kansas State is more experienced and is more like its normal self but the big wins game against … Nevada? West Virginia? The team was able to push Oklahoma and Baylor a bit, but there wasn’t any sort of a giant signature victory.
This is a good Wildcat team, but the offense wasn’t anything special and there isn’t a lot of scoring punch. It’s possible LSU comes out hot, and then can use all the athleticism and skill to hang on.
LSU vs Kansas State Preview
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Mercari Texas Bowl Top Players To Know
Experts Pick: Texas Bowl, Kansas State vs LSU
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, LSU vs Kansas State Prediction, Mercari Texas Bowl History
LSU vs Kansas State: Mercari Texas Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
LSU will play its heart out for Brad Davis.
He’s got the lines that could and should be able to take over at times, but there are way too many missing parts to pull this off.
Most of the top LSU tacklers are gone, but the remaining parts will play hard enough to keep this close. However, there won’t be enough of a running game to find any sort of consistency, and Kansas State will get the two big plays needed in the second half to push through.
It won’t be anything pretty, but this should be very close, and for the next-to-last game of the year, very interesting.
Mercari Texas Bowl: LSU vs Kansas State Prediction, Lines
Kansas State 26, LSU 20
Line: Kansas State -4.5, o/u: 48
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
Must See Rating: 3
5: New Year’s Eve in a bar
1: New Year’s Eve watching a ball drop
Mercari Texas Bowl History
2020 Canceled
Dec. 31, 2019 Texas A&M 24, Oklahoma State 21
Dec. 27, 2018 Baylor 45, Vanderbilt 38
Dec. 27, 2017 Texas 33, Missouri 16
Dec. 28, 2016 Kansas State 33, Texas A&M 28
Dec. 29, 2015 LSU 56 Texas Tech 27
Dec. 29, 2014 Arkansas 31 Texas 7
Dec. 27, 2013 Syracuse 21 Minnesota 17
Dec. 28, 2012 Texas Tech 34 Minnesota 31
Dec. 31, 2011 Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22
Dec. 29, 2010 Illinois 38 Baylor 14
Dec. 31, 2009 Navy 35 Missouri 13
Dec. 30, 2008 Rice 38 Western Michigan 14
Dec. 28, 2007 TCU 20 Houston 13
Dec. 28, 2006 Rutgers 37 Kansas State 10
Dec. 31, 2005 TCU 27 Iowa State 24
Dec. 29, 2004 Colorado 33 UTEP 28
Dec. 30, 2003 Texas Tech 38 Navy 14
Dec. 27, 2002 Oklahoma State 33 Southern Miss 23
Dec. 28, 2001 Texas A&M 28 TCU 9
Dec. 27, 2000 East Carolina 40 Texas Tech 27
LSU vs Kansas State Preview
Why LSU, Kansas State Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
Mercari Texas Bowl Top Players To Know
Experts Pick: Texas Bowl, Kansas State vs LSU