Lane Kiffin stirred up quite the controversy when he left a College Football Playoff team for one of its staunch rivals. Now, his inevitable return to his former stomping grounds has garnered widespread attention, and extra security is likely necessary for what is expected to be a circus of a weekend in Oxford.
Ole Miss is beefing up its public safety patrol this weekend in anticipation of hordes of people making their way to the small college town. Country superstar Ella Langley will be in town on Thursday; ESPN’s College GameDay is previewing Saturday’s big game; and, of course, Kiffin is set to face the team he left for one of its most bitter foes. Needless to say, tensions will be elevated.
“These big gatherings are susceptible to security issues, and so, we want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to protect the people who are coming to the game, our team, our coaches, and our staff,” Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said on Mornings with Richard Cross.
To ease security concerns, the University Police Department, Oxford Police Department, and Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office have coordinated on a public safety plan. Added to the law enforcement mix is mounted patrol from Alabama and Louisiana. For those familiar with Oxford on a crowded weekend, the city has long used mounted patrol to monitor crowds. It will be utilized again ahead of the LSU matchup.
It’s going to be busy in Oxford
Between the concert, College GameDay, and the game itself, Oxford is anticipated to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors in a three-day stretch. A noticeably limited hotel and rental property availability also suggests that the masses will be enjoying what the town has to offer. With that in mind, officials encourage visitors to plan accordingly and, beyond that, to be prepared for delays.
“I would encourage everybody that’s coming into town to be a little bit more patient than normal,” Carter said. “Try to get to the game early and avoid some of the rush right before kickoff.”
President Trump is rumored to be mulling a visit to the Ole Miss-LSU game
A rumor traveling throughout the Magnolia State is that President Donald Trump has mulled making an appearance during Saturday’s game. No stranger to in-person visits at major sporting events, his desire to be in the epicenter of the college football world would not be shocking, as the president was notably at a 2023 contest between Iowa and Iowa State, along with a 2024 home Alabama game against Georgia.
Nonetheless, the Ole Miss athletics department is not expecting to have to accommodate President Trump and his Secret Service detail this weekend.
“We have not heard anything from President Trump’s camp, officially. I’ve kind of heard the rumors as well. There are some Ole Miss folks that are close to the president, and they’ve mentioned that could potentially happen,” Carter said. “Obviously, that would be a big undertaking from the standpoint of logistics — getting him and all of his entourage in and out, with airspace and security, and those types of things — so I would assume, by this point, that we would know something.”
Carter added that his team will be prepared in the unlikely event that the commander-in-chief makes his way to the game.
Louisiana governor expresses security concerns
Carter and his athletics director counterpart at LSU, Verge Ausberry, have communicated about the security plan for this weekend. Ausberry confirmed to reporters that he is pleased with the game plan Ole Miss has presented, and likened himself and Carter to the “adults in the room” as outside noise surrounding the rivalry has been nothing shy of uncivil.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who played a pivotal role in poaching LSU’s head football coach from Ole Miss, is not as confident as Ausberry about the level of protection Kiffin and the Tiger players will receive. Landry even suggested that utilizing the military might be necessary.
“I’m thinking about having to send him in on an F-16 and maybe the team on a C-130,” Landry told ESPN. “Security is going to be really tight. You know, we might need the National Guard out there to protect our team. I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend.”
When asked about the Louisiana governor’s remarks, Carter shrugged them off, acknowledging that he has no control over what Landry says.
“Honestly, I’ve kind of tuned out the governor of Louisiana. That’s not something we’re focused on here on campus,” Carter continued. “We’re going to make sure that we have plenty of security. The game’s going to go on, and everyone’s going to be just fine. We try to stay focused on the things we can control, and the rhetoric coming out of Louisiana is not something that we can control.”
The game is a top-10 matchup
Often lost in the mix when Ole Miss versus LSU is discussed is the game itself. While a lion’s share of the focus has been on Kiffin and the reception he will get from Rebel fans, the result of the top-10 showdown will ultimately determine bragging rights.
“If you don’t prepare really well, practice really well, and play your best game, you’re probably not going to win the game,” Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding said. “I think we’ve got a mature enough group that understands that it’s going to be a hard football game. [LSU has] a really good football team. Gotta good quarterback, got good skill, really good on defense, but we’ve got good players too.”
No. 7 LSU (2-0) enters the game after back-to-back beatdowns. The Tigers blasted a once-great Clemson team 51-10 in its season opener. One week later, a slow start, fueled by quarterback Sam Leavitt’s 3 interceptions, made a second-half surge a necessity in a buy game against Louisiana Tech. And, to its credit, LSU outscored the Bulldogs 35-7 in the final 30 minutes to earn a 45-14 victory.
No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0), on the other hand, escaped a ranked Louisville team with a walk-off field goal to earn a 41-38 week one win, before sleepwalking to a 41-9 victory over Charlotte in its second matchup.
LSU features a few notable former Rebels. Sophomore wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. has been a solid piece in Kiffin’s and former Rebel offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.’s offense, as he’s logged 153 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches. Defensive end Princewill Umanmielen has been one of the most effective pass rushers in the SEC, with 6 sacks through the two early games. Linebacker TJ Dottery has been a force, amassing 14 total tackles and a pair of forced fumbles.
Ole Miss boasts not one, but two Heisman hopefuls in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy — both of whom elected to remain in Oxford instead of following their former head coach to Baton Rouge. Through two games, Chambliss has 561 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and an interception, along with 62 rushing yards and a score. Lacy has 148 yards and 3 touchdowns, though it’s worth noting that he was limited in the second half of the team’s 2026-27 season debut after suffering an injury. He returned in the following matchup and appeared to be healthy.
Saturday’s matchup between Ole Miss and LSU will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT. ABC and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations will carry the broadcast.
