Lane Kiffin’s trip back to Oxford is bringing all the theater you’d expect, but the football matchup underneath it is just as sharp. No.
7 LSU walks into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night to face No. 8 Ole Miss in a top-10 SEC showdown that hasn’t had both teams ranked this high since 1962.
Kiffin’s return gives the game an extra edge. He left Ole Miss less than 10 months ago after his sixth season there to take the LSU job, and the Rebels went on a playoff run without him.
That breakup alone would have made this one spicy. Add in the rankings, the crowd, and what the winner gets to say afterward, and it feels like one of the biggest games the league has seen in years.
There’s plenty riding on the result. An Ole Miss win would read like proof that the Rebels can keep standing with the SEC’s best even after Kiffin helped lift the program and moved on. An LSU win would be a big early marker for Kiffin as he tries to push the Tigers back toward national relevance after Brian Kelly’s four-year run fell short.
Both teams arrive at 2-0, with Week 1 wins over ACC opponents and Week 2 tune-up victories against overmatched Group of Six teams. Now the real test starts, and it comes against the coach who used Ole Miss as his springboard.
The matchup also has a built-in chess match feel. Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding spent three seasons as Kiffin’s defensive coordinator in Oxford, so he knows the rhythm of those offenses from close range.
LSU’s offensive coordinator is Charlie Weis Jr., who previously held that same job with the Rebels. On the other side, LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker hasn’t had the same level of familiarity with Ole Miss and new offensive coordinator John David Baker, but Kiffin has worked with John David Baker before and should have a clear sense of how to attack Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
LSU’s quarterback situation is another layer to watch. The Tigers listed starter Sam Leavitt as doubtful on Wednesday night’s SEC injury report, and CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Leavitt did not throw at Wednesday’s practice because of an upper body issue.
Zenitz also reported that Leavitt did take part in LSU’s Thursday walkthrough. If he can’t go, LSU’s top backup is Elon transfer Landen Clark, who put up nearly 3,000 yards last season as a dual-threat threat and was named CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The atmosphere should be plenty loud before the first snap. The sold-out secondary market has pushed get-in prices to at or above $500 on popular third-party ticket sites as of Thursday afternoon.
Local police have also added security and brought in reinforcements for what’s expected to be a rowdy scene. Kiffin has returned to an SEC stadium before, including Tennessee, but this one carries a different level of anticipation.
It will also be LSU’s first road game under Kiffin.
Kickoff is set for Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
On the field, LSU gets the nod here. Louisville showed some cracks in Ole Miss’ secondary during the Rebels’ 41-38 Week 1 win, and Kiffin is exactly the kind of coach who can dig into that weakness. LSU’s defense hasn’t really been stress-tested yet, but if it can hold up, Kiffin’s play-calling should be enough to tilt a close one.
Pick: LSU -2.5
Several CBS Sports writers are also backing LSU, with Tom Fornelli taking LSU -3, Chip Patterson, Brandon Marcello, John Talty, Richard Johnson, Shehan Jeyarajah, David Cobb and Brad Crawford all picking LSU, while Chris Hummer is on Ole Miss. In the straight-up picks, Fornelli, Patterson, Marcello, Talty, Johnson, Jeyarajah, Cobb and Crawford are on LSU, with Hummer taking Ole Miss.
SportsLine’s computer model has simulated every Week 3 college football game 10,000 times and says to visit SportsLine for its picks. The model is on a 33-21 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks since the 2024 season.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Gets Defensive Help As LSU Brings A Huge QB Question
Ole Miss is set to open conference play with a marquee home game against LSU, and the Rebels should get a boost on the back end of the defense when the Tigers come to Oxford. Cornerback Antonio Kite is expected back in the lineup, while safety Sharif Denson is also slated to return, giving Ole Miss some much-needed help in a top-10 matchup that figures to test every layer of the secondary.
The timing matters because LSUs own injury situation could reshape the way this game is played. Star quarterback Sam Leavitt is listed as doubtful, which leaves a major question mark hanging over the Tigers as they head into one of the SECs earliest measuring-stick games. For Ole Miss, getting healthier in the secondary before a game like this is about as good a break as a defense can ask for. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Isnt Buying LSUs Quarterback Status For Saturday
LSUs quarterback situation has already become part of the buildup to Saturday in Oxford, with Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful on the SEC injury report because of soreness in his throwing shoulder and limited practice participation. For Ole Miss, that designation is only adding another layer to a game that already carried plenty of weight, since the Rebels are preparing for the possibility that the Tigers may have to adjust late in the week.
Inside the Ole Miss coaching staff, though, there is a clear sense that the report may not tell the full story. They do not sound convinced Leavitt will actually sit out, even as LSU has an alternate plan ready with Landen Clark expected to start if needed. However it plays out, the Rebels are treating the situation as one worth monitoring right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces One Big Road Test As Leavitt Concern Grows
The buildup to Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium has already started to take shape on the national radar, and Aaron Murray is leaning toward LSU in what shapes up as one of the more watched games of the weekend. The former Georgia quarterback and college football analyst pointed to the matchup as a chance for LSU to steady itself, while also acknowledging the parts of Ole Miss that make this such a tricky assignment for any visitor.
Murray also singled out Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and receiver Deuce Alexander as players who can tilt the game if they get rolling. For LSU, the focus remains on Sam Leavitt and whether he can make enough of a jump for the Tigers to handle the road environment, with ABC set to carry the broadcast and plenty of attention likely to follow every possession. [Read more 🡒]