This weekend, Lane Kiffin will touch down in Oxford, Mississippi, with heightened security. It goes without saying that his former fanbase won’t welcome him with open arms.
Kiffin’s swift departure from Ole Miss to take the LSU head coaching job last December was immediately etched into college football mythology, marking one of the most controversial hires in the sport’s modern era, but Kiffin doesn’t seem shaken by Oxford’s pulsing hatred.
In fact, during Monday’s press availability, Kiffin contended that players who don’t thrive in chaos “go to a different type of program,” when asked about his team’s bandwidth in dealing with the extraneous pressures of this week.
Antics aside, when Ole Miss and LSU take the field on Saturday night, there will be a world of national implications. Both teams are legitimate Playoff hopefuls, and each tout a Heisman contender behind center. But, once the game kicks off, none of that will really matter much at all.
Kiffin’s unwelcome homecoming crystallizes what college football is all about. Beyond the stat lines, rankings, and increasingly industry-sterilized Playoff race, is a nucleus of passion that distinguishes college football from any other sport. That fervor will be on full display this Saturday, and neither camp wants to be on the showdown’s short end.
Regardless of what happens, Saturday will be a tribute to college football’s oldest tradition: hatred.
During the offseason, this matchup promised one of the most exciting quarterback standoffs of the year. Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss is the country’s most dynamic offensive presence, and Sam Leavitt’s poise and accuracy flash shades of his Tiger quarterback lineage.
This week, though, LSU curiously listed Leavitt as doubtful on their initial injury report. Leavitt did not appear to suffer a visible injury during last week’s steamrolling of Louisiana Tech, and Kiffin has yet to comment on his status.
These admittedly strange omissions beg the question: is Kiffin playing coy to give the Rebels a strategic advantage? It’s entirely possible, and probably ethical, to assume the program is being forthcoming about Leavitt’s health, but few things would be more Kiffin-esque than some morally ambiguous roster fishing ahead of the season’s most important contest.
In the case Leavitt doesn’t suit up, sophomore Elon transfer Landon Clark will likely take the helm. Alternatively, USC sophomore transfer Husan Longstreet could be under center, but the former has been the Tigers’ second man of choice so far this season.
In any case, Ole Miss defensive coordinator Bryan Brown will have his hands full trying to temper the Tigers’ offensive firepower. LSU ranks third nationally in yards per game, and cracks the top 30 in nearly every major offensive category, including points per game and 20+-yard plays.
Suffice to say, the Tigers are explosive and flaunt solid talent at the skill positions. Junior tight end Trey’Dez Green alongside sophomore wideout Winston Watkins Jr. and junior wideout Eugene Wilson III anchor a versatile receiving core. Even so, LSU doesn’t seem to have a standout pass catcher yet, a pillar of elite Tiger squads in years past.
There’s still plenty of cause for concern for the Rebels. Ole Miss’ defense looked unimpressive in their narrow week one escape against Louisville, where they conceded nearly 500 yards and made Lincoln Kienholz look remarkably like Justin Herbert. Their defensive unit will have to patch up those holes to stop LSU from firing out of the gate. Let the Tigers’ week one 51-10 drubbing of Clemson serve as testament to their dominant capabilities.
While Ole Miss’s first two outings exposed an occasionally leaky defense, their offense rolled expectedly. Chambliss leads the SEC in completions (tied with Auburn’s Byrum Brown) and boasts a 71% completion rate.
Chambliss and junior running back Kewan Lacy make up college football’s most dangerous backfield, but they’ll face their tallest task Saturday.
Defensively, LSU has been impenetrable this year. Their front seven, anchored by senior defensive end Princewill Umanmielen, is the nation’s best. The Tigers are only allowing 142 yards per game and lead the country in sacks.
Chambliss’ versatility and unparalleled playmaking ability effectively disarms any conceivable defensive game plan. If you’ll remember, he had Kirby Smart’s and Will Muschamp’s front seven spinning in the Rebels’ Playoff upset of Georgia last year. If there ever was a time for Chambliss to command the field, Saturday is it.
LSU has been nearly perfect through two weeks, and Ole Miss has looked like a work in progress at times. But I have an inkling that the Rebels will cast away their defensive flubs when their former head man rolls into Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium on Saturday. Especially if Leavitt is sidelined, Ole Miss has a prime opportunity to capitalize on the matchup’s pomp and circumstance to propel their upset bid.
It’s hard to make a prediction with the quarterback variable in the bounds, but I’m going to give Ole Miss the slight edge this weekend. Chambliss and Lacy’s ability to turn a game on its head truly can’t be overstated. If that duo even approaches its ceiling, the Rebels may get their revenge after all.