Extra security measures are locked and loaded for Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford this weekend, and yeah, we’re talking about real safety issues here. LSU officials are taking no chances, putting a plan in place to protect their coach inside a sold-out Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, which is gearing up to be college football’s rowdiest environment. This isn’t Kiffin’s first rodeo with a hostile crowd, though; Tennessee fans once hurled golf balls and a mustard bottle his way back in 2021. But this time? The animosity is even stronger.
Betrayal, Bad Blood, and Heisman Hopes
Why so much hate? Kiffin dipped out on Ole Miss last November, before the College Football Playoff, to take the same job with a league rival, LSU. To the Ole Miss faithful, that was a betrayal of the highest order, especially after he’d resurrected the program and brought them historic wins. Kiffin himself isn’t shying away from it. “I guess there’s real safety issues and stuff, so there’s people that have a plan for that, it is what it is,” he said Monday. He even told his own players, “you don’t have anything to worry about anything as far as attention on you all week. There’s so much attention and hatred on me, you just get to go play.” Talk about taking the bullet for the squad!
Kiffin is trying to flip the script on who’s really feeling the pressure, too. “Really, the pressure is on them (Ole Miss). We won seven games last year; they won 13. They return two Heisman candidates. How often does that happen in the same backfield?” That’s a bold take, especially when you consider No. 8 Ole Miss is riding a 13-game home winning streak, the third-longest active streak in FBS, that goes all the way back to Kiffin’s successful tenure there. Adding to the drama, Kiffin poached several Ole Miss assistants and some former players through the transfer portal. He even tried to snag two NFL players last month after some courtroom wins, before the university put the brakes on it with SEC expulsion threats looming. Yeah, the dude left fire in his wake, creating a ton of unnecessary drama.
Top-10 Showdown: Who’s Focused?
This is the first SEC game for both teams, and they’re both sitting at 2-0 after “loud wins” over non-conference competition. But both LSU and Ole Miss “sputtered a bit” last weekend, which makes you wonder if all this off-field noise is getting into their heads. Kiffin knows all eyes are on him, but he’s trying to steer the focus back to the field. “I think it is unusual, one team you built and now a new team you’re building,” he admitted. “Probably an unusual situation that way, but I know a lot’s going to be made about me, but this is about the players preparing really well and playing really well. Pete (Golding)’s not going to tackle anybody, and I’m not going to throw any touchdowns.”
When the ball finally gets kicked off Saturday night in Oxford for this top-10 matchup, none of the off-the-field stuff about his departure will matter. It’s about two talented offenses trying to figure it out and two 2-0 teams fighting for that early SEC edge. This isn’t about Kiffin anymore; it’s about the players balling out and bringing that heat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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