Ole Miss-LSU has all the ingredients for a loud Week 3 scene, and ESPN’s “College GameDay” is bringing its full crew to Oxford for the matchup. Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit will set the stage before the mid-afternoon kickoff in a game that doubles as a conference opener and a major test for both teams.
The attention around this one goes well beyond the rankings. Lane Kiffin is set to coach against his former school for the first time since leaving this offseason, and that alone gives the matchup an extra jolt. With a fired-up crowd expected on Ole Miss’ campus, the only question left is who will join the pregame show as the celebrity guest picker.
A few names stand out.
Eli Manning and Archie Manning would be the kind of pair that sends the Rebels’ fan base into a frenzy. Both are among the best quarterbacks in Ole Miss history, and together with Peyton Manning and current Texas quarterback Arch Manning, they form what amounts to the first family of NFL quarterbacks. Having both Eli and Archie on “College GameDay” would be a major moment for the home crowd.
Another possibility is Patrick Willis, one of the greatest linebackers the game has ever seen and a former Ole Miss star. Willis was the No. 11 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, made six All-Pro teams, and now holds places in both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. For a program legend like that, the “GameDay” stage would make plenty of sense.
Morgan Freeman would bring a different kind of star power. The actor is one of the most recognizable voices in the world and is also a well-known Ole Miss fan, even though he did not attend the school. He has shown up at multiple basketball games in recent years, sitting courtside, and while he’s now 89 years old, he would still be must-see television.
Jaxson Dart is another intriguing name, though the NFL schedule makes it a tougher fit. The former Ole Miss quarterback, who played for Kiffin in college, is now with the New York Giants and is considered one of the best to ever play the position for the Rebels. New York doesn’t play until Monday, Sept. 21, two days after Ole Miss hosts LSU, so there is at least a small window before the Giants face the Los Angeles Rams on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
And then there’s Katy Perry, who already has a memorable “College GameDay” connection to Ole Miss. She was the guest picker for the Rebels’ 2014 game against Alabama and was the only panelist to correctly back Ole Miss.
She also spent time partying with fans after the show, adding to her place in the school’s GameDay lore. Perry had never attended a college football game before that day, and her appearance is still remembered fondly by Rebels fans as they get ready for another big one.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Just Added Another Twist To LSU Week
The LSU-Ole Miss week already had plenty of juice on its own, and Landry Kiffin found a way to make it even more interesting by launching her clothing brand, Fifth Year, with a live sale during the game. The line centers on activewear and gameday apparel, built around college colors and traditions, which makes the timing feel tailor-made for a rivalry weekend that has long carried meaning on both sides.
For LSU fans, the wrinkle is the family connection behind it all. Landrys brand launch lands in the middle of a week tied to both LSU and Ole Miss, a reminder of how closely those schools are woven into her family story. Fifth Year is still in its opening chapter, but the rollout has already given this matchup an extra layer of off-field intrigue. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Picked Up An Ugly Off Field Twist
Just before LSU lined up to face Ole Miss, one of the Tigers newest defensive additions was dealing with something far less familiar than a game plan. Princewill Umanmielen was served court papers tied to a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Ole Miss, a reminder that this rivalry has spilled well beyond the field and into the legal side of roster movement.
The case also involves Devin Harper, another former Rebel who transferred to LSU, and it asks for nearly $1 million in penalties while trying to sort out revenue-sharing obligations between the schools. For LSU, it adds an uncomfortable layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of edge, with the off-field fallout now hanging over players who made the jump from Oxford to Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs SEC Standing Suddenly Became A Real Issue Behind The Scenes
A behind-the-scenes hiccup in LSUs SEC relationship surfaced this week when LSU System President Dr. Wade Rousse told Commissioner Greg Sankey the university would not attend a high-stakes league meeting on the advice of legal counsel. The reason was tied to a federal lawsuit involving LSU employees, a complication that forced the school to sit out a gathering it otherwise had every reason to be part of as conference business continued to pile up around college sports.
LSU still stressed that its commitment to the SEC has not changed, and the league moved forward without the Tigers, taking no action to punish the university for the absence. Even so, the timing only added to the tension around a legal dispute over athlete eligibility that remains active and is still working its way through the courts, leaving LSU in the middle of a situation that is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]