By: Ethan Horner
(Photo/Joseph Chinn-The Mojo Network)
This Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi, the LSU Tigers will take on the Ole Miss Rebels in what could be the most anticipated matchup of the college football season.
Former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is set to make his return to Oxford after his messy departure from the program last December, just before the College Football Playoff began. Now, Kiffin will return to his former home as the head coach of the Tigers, adding another layer of drama to an already highly anticipated matchup.
Both programs enter the Week 3 showdown undefeated at 2-0 and ranked inside the top 10. LSU enters as a three-point favorite on the road, but the Tigers will have to deal with what is expected to be an extremely hostile environment.
The anticipation surrounding the game has reached such a high level that Oxford is bringing in additional police forces to help handle the expected crowd and heightened emotions surrounding Kiffin’s return.
Despite the attention surrounding his return, Kiffin has attempted to keep the focus on his team. Earlier this week, he spoke about the pressure surrounding the matchup, saying, “All that pressure is on them,” when discussing what he told his team heading into Saturday.
Ole Miss will enter the game with two of the most electric players in college football: quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. When Kiffin left Oxford, many assumed both players would follow him to Baton Rouge. Instead, both elected to remain with the Rebels.
Lacy, in particular, made his feelings toward his former head coach clear when asked about his relationship with Kiffin.
“Really don't have a relationship with him,” Lacy said.
That quote only adds more fuel to what is already expected to be an emotionally charged evening in Oxford.
All eyes will be on Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this Saturday. With two undefeated, top-10 teams, a former head coach returning to his old home and plenty of tension surrounding both programs, this matchup has all the ingredients for an unforgettable Week 3 showdown.
There is clearly no love lost between Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin. Expect a hostile environment, plenty of emotion and an electric atmosphere when the Tigers and Rebels finally meet.