Greg McElroy is siding with LSU in one of the season’s biggest early SEC showdowns.
The ESPN analyst said Tuesday on Always College Football that he expects No. 7 LSU to leave Oxford with a 31-24 win over No.
8 Ole Miss, a matchup that brings Lane Kiffin back to the place where he coached the Rebels to an 11-1 mark in 2025 before leaving for Baton Rouge. It’s also the first top-10 meeting between the SEC rivals since 1962.
Kiffin’s return has only added more edge to a game that already had plenty. Ole Miss moved quickly after his departure, promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who then guided the Rebels past Tulane and Georgia before a 31-27 loss to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
Kiffin also made a run at bringing quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy with him to LSU, but both stayed put. Four Ole Miss players did transfer to LSU, including defensive end Princewill Umanmielen and linebacker TJ Dottery.
Oxford police are preparing for the scene, adding mounted patrols from New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., for Saturday. Kiffin, though, has kept the spotlight where he wants it.
"This is an unusual situation," Kiffin said. "But this isn't about me.
I'm not going to tackle anybody. I'm not going to throw any touchdowns."
McElroy likes what he’s seen from LSU’s defense through two games. The Tigers opened by beating Clemson 51-10 and followed that with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech.
Against Louisiana Tech, LSU gave up just 140 total yards, piled up seven sacks and forced three turnovers. Umanmielen was responsible for three of those sacks.
Still, McElroy pointed to one area that could swing things back toward Ole Miss: the Rebels’ ability to create takeaways. Louisville rolled up 469 yards against them in the opener, and eight of its second-half plays went for 20 yards or more.
"The takeaways, or the lack thereof, that's something that's concerning," McElroy said. "They have to be able to take the ball away. And if LSU's handing out possessions, then boom, Ole Miss should be in a really good spot."
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt has been explosive on the ground, leading all quarterbacks nationally with five rushing touchdowns. But he has also been prone to mistakes, throwing four interceptions, including three in the first half against Louisiana Tech. One of those was returned 100 yards for a touchdown.
"Sam Leavitt, he's the reason why LSU can win by 30," McElroy said. "He's also the reason why LSU could play a really close game."
Chambliss gives Ole Miss a dangerous counterpunch. The Ferris State transfer threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score in a 41-38 win over Louisville, and receiver Deuce Alexander had five catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
"If that's the level you're going to get from Trinidad Chambliss, good luck containing him because he can take over the game in an instant," McElroy said.
Lacy was banged up in the Louisville game with a thigh injury, but he returned the following week and scored two touchdowns in a 41-9 win over Charlotte.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, with both teams opening SEC play.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fan Just Delivered A Viral Pregame Flex At LSU's Expense
A day before Ole Miss and LSU renewed one of the SECs louder rivalries, an Oxford commercial pilot found a fresh way to needle the Tigers. Joshua Gregory took to the sky and, over Louisiana, used his flight path to spell out Come to the Sip, turning a pregame jab into something far bigger than a message board post.
The stunt quickly caught fire on social media and even drew notice from aviation enthusiasts around the world, which is about as wide a stage as a college football flex can get. It also prompted reaction from Louisiana pilot Brian Trascher, who weighed in on the challenge of pulling off the route and the rivalry flavor behind it, leaving the whole episode with a little more air time than anyone probably expected. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got A New Twist In Its LSU Lawsuit Fight
The offseason legal battle tied to Ole Miss took another turn when LSU defensive end Princewell Umanmielen was served court papers connected to a lawsuit the Rebels filed. The case centers on alleged breach of contract and seeks monetary damages from Umanmielen and another former Ole Miss player, adding a messy off-field layer to a dispute that already reaches beyond the usual transfer chatter.
LSU officials were aware there would be an attempt to serve Umanmielen before it happened, underscoring how carefully this has been unfolding behind the scenes. The suit is reportedly centered on revenue sharing issues between the schools, which gives the fight a broader backdrop than just one player and makes it clear this disagreement could have implications well past this single legal filing. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got Another Reason To Circle LSU Saturday
A routine September trip to Baton Rouge already had enough edge, but Ole Miss has picked up another layer of intrigue ahead of Saturdays matchup with LSU. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry jumped onto social media to criticize the Rebels after they filed a breach of contract lawsuit against LSU defensive player Princewill Umanmielen, a former Ole Miss player who transferred after last season.
The legal fight has only sharpened the mood around a game that was already set up to carry real weight for both programs. With Umanmielen now on the LSU side of the rivalry and the lawsuit still hanging over the story line, this is the kind of off-field wrinkle that can make an SEC meeting feel even bigger before a single snap is played. [Read more 🡒]