Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss has already dominated the build-up to LSU’s game of the week matchup with the Rebels, but the biggest talking point now is the injury report and what it might really mean.
LSU listed starting quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful against Ole Miss, and that designation immediately sparked questions about whether the injury is legitimate or part of something more calculated. Around the matchup, the suspicion is that Kiffin may be working the kind of psychological angle that keeps opponents guessing and on edge.
Stephen A. Smith didn’t hesitate to land on that interpretation.
“I think this is Lane Kiffin lying through his teeth. I think he’s playing around.
He’s annoying people. He’s being the agitator,” Smith said on ESPN about LSU’s motivations.
Smith also argued that if Kiffin is going to lean into the role of the villain, he should fully own it.
“Listen, I’m not asking for anybody, I’m not encouraging anyone to break any rules, to incur any fines or anything like that, but I like the embracing of the pariah image… As I said to him weeks ago, you got to embrace that image,” he said.
And in Smith’s view, Kiffin has every reason to keep leaning into that approach against Ole Miss.
“They’re going on with life without you, but they still despise you. Stop trying to make people like you.
Just embrace it. That’s what he’s doing here.
He’s agitating people. He’s willing to get on their nerves.”
The skepticism around Leavitt’s status isn’t limited to Smith. Pete Thamel reported that Ole Miss staffers aren’t buying the doubtful tag either, saying: “No one on the Ole Miss staff is convinced LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt’s appearance as doubtful on the injury report is sincere and he’ll miss the game on Saturday,” citing people inside the Rebels program.
There’s also the matter of the SEC. If the conference determined LSU knowingly entered false information into the availability report, the penalty would be a $25,000 fine for a first offense.
Still, the whole thing fits the tone of a matchup that already has Kiffin front and center, and the timing only adds to the suspicion. Leavitt finished the Louisiana Tech game without any visible problems, which is why the sudden appearance of a shoulder issue feels so convenient to some observers. The idea is simple: make Ole Miss spend valuable practice time getting ready for a backup that may never see the field.
Smith wrapped it up with the prediction many are already leaning toward.
“I think Sam Leavitt’s going to be in this game.”
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Gunner Stockton Just Entered A New SEC Quarterback Debate
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For Ole Miss fans, Stockton landing near the top of that list is the kind of recognition that keeps the quarterback discussion squarely in the spotlight. Chiziks rankings also made one of the bigger side notes of the week more interesting by leaving Arch Manning off altogether, a reminder that early-season evaluations in the SEC can be as much about current form as reputation. [Read more 🡒]