Greg McElroy is heading to Tuscaloosa on Saturday for his Week 3 assignment, but the game that has his attention sits in Oxford.
No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss are set for one of the marquee matchups of the 2026 college football season on Saturday night at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and McElroy broke it down earlier this week on his Always College Football preview show.
He sided with LSU, calling for a 31-24 Tigers win. That prediction came before LSU listed quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful on Wednesday’s official injury report, but McElroy still voiced real questions about Ole Miss.
“I thought for sure it was going to be (Ole Miss’s) year,” McElroy said. “The takeaways or the lack thereof, that’s something that’s concerning. They have to be able to take the ball away.
“And if LSU’s handing out possessions, then boom, Ole Miss should be in a really good spot. I think Ole Miss has the firepower to be able to score. I do think they could score.”
Even with that offensive upside, McElroy pointed to LSU’s defense as the best unit he’s seen among either side through two games of the 2026 season.
“But the best group I’ve seen so far between the Ole Miss offense, the Ole Miss defense, the LSU offense, the LSU defense, the best group I’ve seen in the game is LSU’s defense,” McElroy said. “And they’ve allowed nine first downs a game. In this Ole Miss run game, they’re going to have to take some of the pressure off.”
In Other News...
LSU Fans Heading To Oxford Just Got A Rivalry Warning
Ole Miss is drawing a hard line for Saturday nights matchup with LSU, announcing that no one wearing Tigers gear or colors will be allowed in the student section at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The move comes with the rivalry already carrying extra edge after past tensions between the fan bases, including an arrest during a recent baseball series that underscored how quickly things can spill over.
For LSU fans headed to Oxford, it is a clear warning that the atmosphere will be tightly controlled around the student area as the Tigers and Rebels meet in prime time. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC, and even before kickoff, the off-field boundary-setting has added another layer to a matchup that rarely needs help getting attention. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Walks Into A Tense Oxford Scene With More Than A Game At Stake
LSUs trip to Oxford carries the usual SEC weight on the field, but this one has brought a sharper edge to the buildup. With a huge crowd expected and additional security measures in place, Ole Miss officials have stressed that the changes are driven first by attendance and logistics. Still, the atmosphere around the game has taken on a more charged feel than a standard rivalry week, with Lane Kiffin acknowledging the pressure that comes with walking into a hostile setting.
Kiffin has also become part of the conversation away from football, with comedians and fans directing personal attacks his way as the game approaches. His daughter responded publicly, calling out inappropriate comments and adding another layer to an already tense backdrop. For LSU, it means the focus in Oxford will not just be on a Saturday matchup, but on managing a night where the noise around the game may be just as loud as the crowd inside it. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Turned Personal For Lane Kiffin
The build-up to LSUs game at Ole Miss has taken an ugly turn off the field, with Landry Kiffin speaking out after inappropriate and vulgar signs aimed at her circulated on social media. The daughter of LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and a student at Ole Miss, she also addressed sexual allegations tied to an Ole Miss player, saying she has never met him and criticizing the behavior of fellow students.
It is the kind of distraction that can hang over a rivalry already charged with emotion, especially with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. For Lane Kiffin and LSU, the on-field stakes are obvious, but the personal nature of this latest flare-up has added a harsher edge to a game that was tense enough already. [Read more 🡒]