LSU vs. Texas is a novelty game. It is the novelty game of the 2019 college football season. It's also the Longhorns' biggest game in years.
Texas' biggest game each year — regardless of record, stakes or other circumstance — is played 200 miles north of Darrell K. Royal Stadium at the Cotton Bowl. While the Longhorns haven't been chasing national titles and playoff appearance over the last decade like Oklahoma, the Red River Rivalry has been the biggest game each year for several years, if not decades.
But what about home games?
Last September, USC brought fanfare and manufactured buzz for a matchup billed as Rose Bowl Part II, but that wasn't a gigantic game at the time, nor did it prove to be a gigantic game down the road. And last November, their win over Iowa State ultimately clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship, though it had no effect on the College Football Playoff.
Texas had notable home games from 2014-17, but they went just 23-27 over those four seasons and were nationally irrelevant. A year prior, in 2013, they hosted Oklahoma State to stay alive in the Big 12 title race — which they didn't thanks to a blowout loss — and in 2012, it was No. 8 (and first-year Big 12 member) West Virginia at No. 11 Texas in the 48-45 instant classic. Huge game, but bigger than LSU at Texas? Nope.
Nor were visits from highly ranked Oklahoma State or Kansas State during an eight-win 2011. And nothing good happened in 2010.
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In 2009, they went 13-1 and played for the BCS National Championship but, surprisingly, didn't have a huge home game. They had six must-win home games, including Texas Tech on Sept. 19, but nothing of this magnitude.
On Oct. 25, 2008, two weeks after a win over top-ranked Oklahoma and one week after walloping No. 11 Missouri in Columbia, undefeated Texas (No. 1 in the Week 8 BCS Standings) hosted one-loss Oklahoma State (No. 7). Texas won, 28-24, and set the stage the for the Michael Crabtree game in Lubbock a week later.
LSU at Texas is the Longhorns' biggest home game in 11 seasons.
