LSU’s first major test of the Lane Kiffin era ended with a thud, and the AP voters made sure the Tigers felt it.
After heading to Oxford for a top-10 showdown with Ole Miss, LSU came up short in a 24-7 loss that exposed a sluggish offense and a defense that never found an answer for Trinidad Chambliss. The Tigers entered the week with a chance to make a statement after their season-opening win over Clemson, but instead watched that momentum get checked hard in a game they couldn’t dig out of.
The defeat came with a price in the latest AP Top 25. On Sunday afternoon, LSU dropped three spots, sliding from No. 7 to No. 10.
LSU was bound to take a hit after losing, but the placement drew attention because Ohio State sits at No. 7 despite being 2-1. The Buckeyes’ lone loss came against the nation’s No. 1 team, but their wins came against Ball State and Kent State. LSU, by contrast, already owns a victory over a Power 4 opponent in Clemson, along with a win over Louisiana Tech.
Even with just one loss, the margin for error is already shrinking. In the expanded College Football Playoff era, three losses can put a team in a dangerous spot fast, and LSU now heads into another pressure-packed matchup against Texas A&M next weekend. Both teams are coming off losses, which only raises the stakes for a game that could send either one spiraling into must-win territory.
The schedule does offer LSU a chance to climb back. The Tigers still have No.
23 Texas A&M, No. 24 Mississippi State, No.
8 Alabama, No. 1 Texas, and No.
14 Tennessee ahead, giving them plenty of chances to collect ranked wins and knock other teams off course.
For Kiffin and LSU, the loss in Oxford is a setback, but not a season-ending one. If this team is as good as its early résumé suggests, there’s still a path to recover and make noise down the stretch.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin's Return To Oxford Got Ugly After LSU's Loss
LSUs trip to Oxford ended with a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss, but the postgame scene carried its own edge. The rivalry already had enough bite with Lane Kiffin back on the sideline in a place where he once coached, and the atmosphere inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium matched it, with a crowd large enough to set an attendance record.
As Kiffin made his way out afterward, police escorted him from the stadium following a tense encounter with former Ole Miss recruit Suntarine Perkins. It was the kind of ending that reminded everyone how personal these SEC games can get, especially when old ties, new loyalties and a loud crowd all collide in one night. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Loss Ended With An Awkward Ole Miss Moment Fans Noticed
Holly Rowe was back on the field Saturday night for the LSU-Ole Miss game, and the scene got lively quickly as No. 8 Ole Miss handed No. 7 LSU a 32-24 loss. The postgame portion of the broadcast brought the kind of raw emotion that follows a rivalry-style finish, with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss fresh off the win and still caught in the moment during his live interview.
Chambliss wound up apologizing publicly after an expletive slipped out on the air, and he later expressed regret for how it played out. Rowe handled the exchange professionally, keeping the moment from overshadowing an already frustrating night for LSU, even if fans were left talking about the awkward ending just as much as the result itself. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Were Shaken By A Frightening Scene Above Saturday's Game
The aerial shots over Saturdays Ole Miss-LSU game in Oxford had plenty of fans already locked in on the atmosphere inside the stadium, but one clip quickly shifted attention to the sky above it. A helicopter came in uncomfortably close to an ESPN camera drone capturing live views over the field, turning what should have been routine broadcast imagery into the kind of moment that made viewers stop and replay the footage.
The near-miss spread fast on social media, where LSU fans and plenty of other observers reacted with concern, and even a helicopter pilot weighed in after seeing the video. No collision occurred and the game went on without further incident, but the episode was a jarring reminder of how much is happening around a major college football broadcast before anyone ever talks about the final score. [Read more 🡒]