LSU was No. 2 in the season’s first College Football Playoff Poll, and Tigers fans started envisioning a playoff semifinal game in not-so-far away Dallas.

Turns out, the Tigers will be in Texas … playing Texas Tech in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl on Dec. 29 at Houston’s NRG Stadium. ESPN will televise the game (9 p.m., ET).

Texas Tech finished 7-5 — all five of its losses were against Big 12 opponents.

Its best win? A 35-24 thumping of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

LSU recovered from three consecutive losses and saved Les Miles’ job when it beat Texas A&M 19-7 in its regular-season finale.

The Tigers were idle Saturday but moved up one spot to No. 20 in the final College Football Playoff Poll. The also moved up one spot to No. 22 in the AP Top 25 Poll and jumped two spots to No. 21 in the Coaches Poll.

Sophomore Leonard Fournette enters the bowl game with 1,741 yards.

Texas Tech ranks 126th nationally in run defense, allowing 271 yards per game.

Which means Fournette has a good chance to become the first SEC running back in history to break 2,000 — though Derrick Henry has 1,986 and possibly two more games. Alabama plays Michigan State on Dec. 31 in a College Football Playoff semifinal game in Dallas.

Fournette, it’s worth noting, has played in just 11 games this season. LSU’s season opener against McNeese State was postponed because of lightning.

That cancellation also will prevent the Tigers (8-3) from winning 10 games for the eighth time under Miles.

LSU is 6-4 in bowl games under Miles.