Lane Kiffin’s trip back to Oxford is set to be one of the biggest scenes of the early season, and the football around it is just as heavy. No.
7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss meet Saturday night with both teams unbeaten, both carrying top-10 ranking, and both trying to leave with their perfect records intact.
This one already had plenty of edge as the Magnolia Bowl, but Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to Baton Rouge adds another layer for the Rebels’ crowd. He won’t be the only familiar face coming back, either, with several other former Ole Miss players also heading back to Oxford. The game will be the 115th meeting between the schools, and it’s the first time they’ve met while both are ranked in the top 10 since 1962.
Kiffin knows exactly what LSU is walking into. The Tigers are going on the road in SEC play for the first time this season, and they’re doing it against a team that has been hard to beat at home.
"You know, you're going and playing a team that has the second longest home win streak in the country. (Ole Miss) has phenomenal players," Kiffin said Monday.
"You know, as you look at last year at the end of the season, you're talking about the best playing quarterback, running back, and kicker in the country coming back. That's going to put you in position to win a lot of games.
So we're going to have to prepare really well and play really well in all areas."
That sets the stage for a heavyweight night in Oxford, with LSU trying to knock off a loaded Ole Miss team in one of the season’s biggest games. And with so much riding on it, the battle lines on the field may matter even more than the noise around the return. The three matchups that decide this one will tell the story.
In Other News...
LSU Fans Have One More Reason To Hate This Ole Miss Loss
Ole Miss 32-24 win over LSU was already frustrating enough for Tigers fans, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss putting together a big day through the air and on the ground in a game that helped the Rebels leave with a rivalry win. He threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns, added another score rushing and had just one interception, giving Ole Miss plenty to celebrate after the final whistle.
For LSU fans, though, the irritation did not end with the scoreboard. Chambliss postgame interview with ESPNs Holly Rowe added one more layer to the loss when he let an expletive slip while delivering the Ole Miss cheer Hotty Toddy, a moment that will only sharpen how this result is remembered in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffins Family Is Forcing Ole Miss Fans To Confront Something Ugly
As LSU and Ole Miss prepare for a high-profile matchup Saturday night, the attention around Lane Kiffin has spilled far beyond the sideline. His family, including daughter Landry, has been hit with inappropriate jokes on social media, a reminder of how quickly rivalry week can turn ugly when football noise bleeds into personal attacks.
Layla Kiffin, Lanes ex-wife, posted a message calling for kindness, and Landry publicly addressed the offensive comments as well. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and will air on ABC, but the lead-up has already shown how much harder it can be for families attached to a marquee SEC game to stay out of the crossfire. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Trey'Dez Green Concern It Can't Ignore
TreyDez Green gave LSU a lift against Ole Miss before the fourth quarter turned troubling, and the Tigers immediately had to adjust to life without their tight end. Green hauled in a 19-yard reception before suffering an apparent right leg injury, then was evaluated on the field by medical staff as the LSU sideline watched a key pass-catching option go down.
By the time he was carted to the locker room, the LSU Football Radio Broadcast had ruled him doubtful to return, leaving the Tigers with a real concern in the passing game. Green had been LSUs leading receiver at the time of his exit with four catches for 60 yards, a reminder of how much the offense had already leaned on him before the injury interrupted the night. [Read more 🡒]