Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game was played between a team from theBig 12 Conference, Houston, and a team from theSoutheastern Conference (SEC), LSU. Prior to the Texas Bowl, the teams had played three times, most recently in 2000, with LSU holding a 2–1 edge in the series.[4]
Houston opened their season with four consecutive wins, then lost toTexas Tech. They won their next three games and had a 7–1 record at the end of October. The Cougars lost two of their four November games—toWest Virginia andTCU—and entered the Texas Bowl with a 9–3 record.[5]
LSU opened their season with a win over fourth-rankedClemson and also won their next three games. However, four losses in their next five games left them with a record of 5–4 through November 8. The Tigers finished their regular season with two wins in their final three games and entered the Texas Bowl with a 7–5 record.[6]
