Kiffin Returns to Ole Miss: No. 7 LSU vs. No. 8 Rebels — SkimNews
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- Lane Kiffin returns to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as LSU's head coach less than 10 months after departing Ole Miss, facing the No. 8 Rebels in the first top-10 meeting between the border-state rivals since 1962.
- No. 7 LSU and Ole Miss both enter at 2-0 with Week 1 wins over ACC opponents and Week 2 victories over Group of Five teams; the winner gains prime position for College Football Playoff contention.
- LSU listed starting QB Sam Leavitt as doubtful with an upper body injury after he didn't throw at Wednesday's practice; backup Landen Clark, an Elon transfer who posted nearly 3,000 yards last season as CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year, would step in.
- Pete Golding served as Kiffin's defensive coordinator at Ole Miss for three years while former Rebels OC Charlie Weis Jr. now holds the same role at LSU, creating a multi-layered coaching chess match.
- Secondary ticket prices hit at or above $500 by Thursday and Oxford police added security reinforcements for what's expected to be a rowdy environment — Kiffin's first road game leading LSU.
- The pick is LSU -2.5, based on Kiffin's offensive mind exploiting secondary holes Ole Miss showed in a 41-38 Week 1 escape over Louisville.
Why it matters: The winner claims a likely College Football Playoff path and bragging rights in what the source calls one of college football's all-time nastiest coaching breakups. LSU's title chances hinge on Kiffin's offensive scheme outsmarting a defensive coordinator he employed for three years — and on whether Sam Leavitt can play through his upper-body injury.
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