The wait is over. The matchup that Ole Miss fans have had circled since last November has finally arrived: LSU at Ole Miss, with Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford nearly a year after leaving town on a private jet just before the playoffs. He has spent the season in the safe haven of Baton Rouge. That ends tonight.
College GameDay Opens with a Message for Kiffin
Kiffin and the Tigers are in town for tonight’s primetime showdown, and fans spent the morning warming up their vocal cords before kickoff. Just 30 seconds into ESPN’s College GameDay, they let Kiffin have it with a vulgar chant.
Oxford Braces for a Heated Night
All eyes are on Lane Kiffin today. The atmosphere is electric, and Rebel fans are fired up for tonight’s game. For them, it’s personal. Oxford is buzzing.
The national guard is on hand. Police presence has tripled over the past few days. Hotel prices have soared into the quadruple digits. The Grove, by all accounts, has been mayhem.
Why the Return Matters
It all stems from Kiffin leaving town last fall, with Ole Miss on the cusp of a legitimate national title run, for LSU. It was the biggest story in sports for months.
Some thought he would stay. Others thought he would go to Florida. But in the end, LSU was always the logical choice. So Kiffin hopped on his private jet and left Oxford in the dust.
Just like that, he was gone. And the fans were furious—rightfully so, by the way. Kiffin built Ole Miss into a national championship program and then bolted before finishing the job.
Tonight's Showdown
Tonight, he returns. All eyes will be on Oxford. LSU. Ole Miss. If this morning’s College GameDay was any indication, maybe watch the game on mute if the kiddos aren’t in bed yet.
