Lane Kiffin will make his return to Ole Miss on Saturday as he leads No. 7 LSU into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to face the No. 8 Rebels in one of the most highly anticipated games in recent SEC history. Not since 1962 have both teams been ranked in the top 10 for the annual clash of border states. The drama of Kiffin's return less than 10 months after accepting the LSU job at the tail end of his sixth season with Ole Miss — before the Rebels made a playoff run without him — adds gasoline to a matchup brimming with on-field intrigue.
The winner will be in prime position to contend for a College Football Playoff spot and will get to claim victory in one of the sport's all-time nastiest breakups. If Ole Miss wins, it will be interpreted as a sign that the Rebels have staying power among the SEC's elite after Kiffin elevated the program to new heights before bolting. If LSU wins, Kiffin will have taken a critical first step toward leading the Tigers back to national prominence after Brian Kelly's disappointing four-year tenure.
Both teams are 2-0 with Week 1 victories over ACC opponents and Week 2 tune-up wins against overmatched Group of Six opponents. Now comes the long-awaited Week 3 showdown between Kiffin and the program he used as a springboard. Familiarity factor: While serving as the Ole Miss defensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin for three seasons, Rebels head coach Pete Golding became well-acquainted with coaching against Kiffin's offenses in practice.
Former Rebels offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is now in the same role with the Tigers. It sets up an intriguing and multi-layered chess match. While LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker isn't as familiar with the Rebels and their new offensive coordinator John David Baker, Kiffin worked with Baker previously and can share plenty of insights on how to handle Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Sam Leavitt's status: LSU raised some eyebrows when it listed starting quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful on its initial SEC-mandated injury report Wednesday night. Leavitt didn't throw at Wednesday's practice while dealing with an upper body issue, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported. However, Zenitz reported that Leavitt did participate in LSU's Thursday walkthrough.
If he's unable to play, LSU's primary backup is Elon transfer Landen Clark, who totaled nearly 3,000 yards last season as a dual-threat playmaker while earning CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year. The environment factor: This week's secondary ticket market for a sold-out showdown illustrates the fervor around the matchup. The get-in price as of Thursday afternoon sat at or above $500 at popular third-party ticket sites.
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