The matchup that matters most in Oxford isn’t the easy headline about Lane and his old team. It’s what Blake Baker can draw up against Trinidad Chambliss.
Chambliss has already shown he can hurt defenses with a quick release and the arm talent to make every throw, even when he’s moving. He’s been efficient against the two defenses Ole Miss has seen so far, and the common thread has been the same: get the ball to the flats fast, then punish teams vertically once they open up. That approach stood out most in the week 1 Music City Kickoff, when Chambliss hit a throw in that exact area to help get the Rebels into field goal range and close out the win against Louisville.
That’s where Baker comes in. LSU’s defense leans on a mix of coverages that usually starts from 2-high safety looks, with Cover 3 also showing up as a 1-high option.
From there, Baker can layer in man coverage, Cover 2 variations, and Cover 4 variations. One example came against Clemson, when LSU played man coverage while bracketing its top receiver, Trey Wesco #12, with a Cover 2 look to that side.
That kind of structure is what makes this a real scheme battle. If Ole Miss wants to keep finding answers, it will have to deal with the same sort of bracket-style attention LSU used before, and Duece Alexander looks like the player most likely to draw it. He’s the Rebels’ most dangerous perimeter threat, and he should see plenty of man coverage mixed in with whatever else LSU throws at him.
All of that points toward a game that could stay tight and low-scoring. Baker’s defense is built to confuse quarterbacks and create pressure, which is why the Under 58.5 looks appealing here. The comparison that keeps coming to mind is last year’s 24-19 Magnolia Bowl.
If LSU gets the game where it wants it, the Tigers will slow everything down. That means leaning on their much-improved running game, trying to grind out steady gains against Ole Miss, and keeping Chambliss on the sideline as much as possible.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Just Added Another Twist To LSU Week
Landry Kiffin picked a familiar college-football backdrop for the launch of her new clothing brand, Fifth Year, rolling out the live sale during the LSU-Ole Miss game. The brand leans into activewear and gameday apparel, built around college colors and traditions, which makes the timing feel especially on-brand for a family that has spent plenty of time around both sidelines.
For LSU fans, the launch adds another layer to a week already shaped by the Kiffin familys connections to both programs. Landrys ties to LSU and Ole Miss give Fifth Year a built-in crossover appeal, and the coincidence of debuting it on game day only sharpened the spotlight around a matchup that was already going to draw attention well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge Ole Miss Question At Quarterback
An already important trip to Ole Miss got more complicated for LSU when quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful because of an undisclosed injury. Leavitts availability had been one of the biggest factors in how this matchup was being framed, and his status now hangs over everything LSU is trying to sort out before kickoff.
If Leavitt cannot go, Elon transfer Landen Clark is expected to step in and make the start, which would put a lot more on LSUs shoulders in a tough road environment. The betting line has already moved in Ole Misss favor since the news broke, a pretty clear sign of how much this quarterback situation has changed the outlook for the Tigers. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Picked Up An Ugly Off Field Twist
The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry already has plenty of edge on the field, but now it has spilled into the courtroom in a way that reaches straight into the Tigers roster. Ole Miss has filed breach-of-contract lawsuits against former Rebels Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper after both transferred to LSU, putting a legal wrinkle on what is usually just another bitter SEC football matchup.
Umanmielen was served court papers tied to the lawsuit just before LSUs game against Ole Miss, and he now has to respond with discovery documents as the case moves forward. The suit seeks nearly $1 million in penalties and is aimed at sorting out revenue-sharing obligations between the schools, turning a familiar rivalry into something far messier than a Saturday in Oxford or Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]