Trinidad Chambliss isn’t pretending this one feels normal.
As Ole Miss gets ready to host LSU on Saturday night in Oxford, the Rebels’ quarterback said what plenty of people are already thinking about the matchup with former head coach Lane Kiffin on the other sideline. Chambliss, who broke out last season under Kiffin, made it clear the week carries extra baggage even if the focus inside the program stays on the game itself.
“It’s going to be a crazy weekend in Oxford. But it’s just another game, though,” Chambliss said.
“Everything that’s going on outside of football really doesn’t matter to us. We’re just worried about football.”
Then came the line that really captures the mood around this one.
“It’s going to be weird, but it is what it is,” he said.
The timing only adds to it. Ole Miss and LSU are both 2-0, both ranked, and they’ll open SEC play against each other in a prime-time slot that puts the game in front of a national audience.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with Oxford expected to be buzzing from start to finish.
For Chambliss, though, the storyline stretches beyond the rankings and the television window. This is the first time he’ll line up for a game like this with Kiffin now coaching LSU after leaving Oxford near the end of last season. That’s the backdrop for a meeting that already had plenty of juice before anyone started talking.
Now the quarterback has said the part that doesn’t need any dressing up: it’s going to feel strange.
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For the 49ers, the concern is not just the immediate absence but the possibility that the injury is more severe than first believed. Some analysts have suggested it could be a Grade 3 sprain, which would push the timeline beyond the early estimate and could stretch the setback to two months or more if surgery ultimately becomes necessary. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Added More Tension To LSU's Return To Oxford
LSUs 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech still came with enough rough edges to keep the focus on what comes next, and that matters with Ole Miss waiting in Oxford. Sam Leavitts three interceptions were part of a sloppy stretch that kept the Tigers from looking fully polished, even in a lopsided result, and the conversation around the game quickly turned from the score to how well it might sharpen LSU before a tougher SEC test.
Lane Kiffin, now back on the other side of this rivalry, has only added to the intrigue around the return trip to Oxford. He left Ole Miss before the College Football Playoff, with Pete Golding taking over and guiding the Rebels through CFP wins before the run ended in the semifinals, so this matchup already carries some built-in edge. With LSU showing cracks at an awkward time and Kiffin back in the mix, the game has picked up another layer of tension before the teams even kick off. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Will Have Plenty To Say About This LSU Projection
Week 3 already has the feel of a measuring-stick game in the SEC, with No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss both unbeaten after 2-0 starts and recent wins over ACC opponents. The matchup carries extra juice because Lane Kiffin is on the LSU sideline, and the kind of game that gets the attention of both fan bases is now drawing plenty of national interest as well.
The numbers have only added to the anticipation. The betting market has LSU favored by 2.5 points with the total set at 58.5, and ESPNs SP+ is also leaning toward the Tigers in what looks like a tight, high-level showdown. For Ole Miss supporters, that kind of projection will only sharpen the debate heading into a game that could shape the SEC conversation early. [Read more 🡒]
