LSU is still in the AP top 10, but Saturday night’s loss to Ole Miss was enough to send the Tigers sliding three spots in the Week 3 poll.
The No. 7 Tigers fell to No. 10 after the No.
8 Rebels beat them in a game between top-10 teams. Ole Miss moved up a couple of places to No. 4, and with three SEC teams sitting in the top four, LSU now stands as the fifth-highest ranked program in the conference.
The result doesn’t change the bigger picture for LSU, at least not yet. The Tigers still have control of their season, but the way they’ve looked on offense over the last two weeks is a problem they can’t ignore for long.
The start has been the issue. Sam Leavitt and the offense have been too slow out of the gate, even if they found life in the second half against Louisiana Tech and eventually discovered enough on the ground against Ole Miss to give themselves a shot. The question hanging over this team is simple: what if they had found that rhythm earlier?
Up front, the problems were hard to miss. LSU’s offensive line gave up 12 pressures on Saturday, with the interior getting overwhelmed by Will Echoles and Weston Davis enduring another rough night. That unit has the look of a potential weak point for the roster.
Dilin Jones has already shown himself to be a strong pickup from the transfer portal, but his impact could be even bigger if there were actual running lanes for him to attack.
For an offense that was supposed to be explosive, the opening stretch of the season has felt flat. And LSU may now have another concern if Trey'Dez Green is sidelined for an extended stretch after he was on crutches before the game ended.
The defense is easier to live with, but it still had a rough time with Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss’ passing attack. Chambliss picked apart Blake Baker’s zone coverage throughout the first half, going 21-of-27 for 258 yards and two touchdowns before halftime.
Some of that came after LSU’s defense was worn down, and the pass rush did show back up in the second half. Even so, there were also breakdowns in execution that helped Ole Miss keep control.
In Other News...
LSU Fans Have One More Reason To Hate This Ole Miss Loss
Ole Miss left Baton Rouge with a 32-24 win over LSU, and Trinidad Chambliss had plenty to do with it. The Rebels quarterback piled up 363 passing yards, threw two touchdown passes and one interception, and also added a rushing score, turning in the kind of all-around performance that made LSU fans swallow a frustrating home loss.
As if the result itself were not enough, Chambliss gave Tigers fans one more annoyance after the final whistle. In a postgame interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, he let an expletive slip while saying Ole Miss's "Hotty Toddy" cheer, a small moment that only added another layer to an already aggravating night for LSU supporters. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Now Has Two Injury Worries Fans Can't Ignore
LSUs 32-24 loss to Ole Miss was already a frustrating night, and the injury list only added to the concern. Safety Dashawn Spears went down early in the second quarter and was later seen on crutches, while tight end TreyDez Green left in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury after being unable to put weight on his leg.
The Tigers did get a small bit of good news from linebacker TJ Dottery, who was questionable before kickoff but still played and made an impact with five tackles and a pass breakup. Even so, losing two key starters in the same game leaves LSU waiting on answers it could hardly afford to need right now. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffins Family Is Forcing Ole Miss Fans To Confront Something Ugly
The buildup to LSU and Ole Miss has brought the usual noise, but some of it has gone well past football. Lane Kiffins family, including his daughter Landry, has been targeted with inappropriate jokes on social media, a reminder of how quickly rivalry banter can turn ugly when the game is this big. Ahead of a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on ABC, the conversation around this matchup has been complicated by a very different kind of attention.
Layla Kiffin, Lanes ex-wife, posted a message urging kindness, and Landry publicly addressed the offensive comments herself. It is the kind of episode that forces a fan base to confront where the line is, especially when the spotlight on a high-profile coach bleeds into his familys life. The football part of the night still matters, but so does the reminder that not everything attached to a rivalry belongs in the stands or online. [Read more 🡒]