LSU football has spent the first stretch of this season under a spotlight that keeps getting brighter, and the Tigers have already shown they can handle it.
That was obvious in the opener against Clemson on Sept. 5, a game that carried huge weight before the first snap and only grew bigger as LSU won it. Rain and thunder may have kept some students away, but they didn’t touch the mood inside the program. LSU opened strong, shook off an interception in the first quarter and kept rolling.
The attention around that game was unlike anything LSU has seen. The crowd included 900 celebrities, media personnel and former players, with Theo Von, Justin Jefferson and Livvy Dunne among them. Lainey Wilson added to the buildup with a pregame performance before ESPN’s College GameDay.
That opener was the most credential-requested game in LSU history, which says plenty about how much interest surrounded the Tigers right away. Once LSU beat Clemson, the pressure only kept building - first in Week 2, then again in Week 3.
A new coach and quarterback have kept LSU in the conversation from the start, but the noise around the program is about more than just football. It’s become part of the story.
Lane Kiffin, LSU’snew head coach, drew plenty of backlash for pushing to have two players who signed NFL contracts allowed back on a college roster. That chatter faded quickly between LSU’s first two games, but the outside attention didn’t go away. If anything, it only shifted, because Kiffin is now set to face his former team in Week 3: Ole Miss.
Kiffin also brought former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron onto his staff as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Orgeron, of course, guided LSU to a 15-0 record and the 2019 national championship.
All of it has helped fuel a fresh jolt around the program, and LSU fans made sure that energy was impossible to miss against Clemson. That same buzz is following the Tigers into their matchup with Ole Miss.
The list of familiar faces in Baton Rouge was a long one. Jefferson, the 2019 national champion, came back ahead of his seventh NFL season.
Dunne returned to Death Valley and walked down Victory Hill with the team. Flau’jae Johnson, the former LSU basketball star and current Seattle Storm guard, was also there for the opener.
Social media personality Vonn joined Dunne and the team as well. ESPN’s College GameDay brought Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban, adding even more attention to a weekend already overflowing with it.
“There’s no greater environment in all of sports than Tiger Stadium at night,” Davis said.
Wilson’s appearance widened LSU’s audience even more, pulling in viewers who may not have come for football but did come for country music. She also made her prediction loud and clear, calling for an LSU vs. Miami National Championship with LSU winning.
“They ain’t scared of a hurricane,” Wilson said in her prediction.
The celebrity presence and the nonstop attention have turned LSU into one of the most watched teams in the country, and the next flashpoint arrives Saturday, Sept. 19, when Kiffin returns to Vaught-Hemmingway to face the school he once led.
In Other News...
Greg McElroy Just Framed Ole Miss LSU In A Way Fans Wont Love
With No. 7 LSU headed into a marquee Week 3 matchup with No. 8 Ole Miss, Greg McElroy took a close look at what could decide one of the early seasons biggest tests. On his Always College Football show, the former Alabama quarterback settled on LSU to win 31-24, while pointing to questions around Ole Miss ability to force turnovers and sustain enough offense to keep pace.
For LSU fans, the more eye-catching part may have been McElroys assessment of the Tigers defense, which he called the strongest unit he has seen this season. That kind of praise only raises the stakes for a matchup that already feels like a measuring-stick game, with both teams entering ranked near the top and a lot of national attention fixed on how LSU handles a dangerous Ole Miss challenge. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]