LSU coach Lane Kiffin makes his long-awaited return to Ole Miss as the seventh-ranked Tigers and eighth-ranked Rebels face off on Saturday. Both fan bases have circled the Magnolia Bowl since Kiffin left Oxford for LSU as Ole Miss prepared for the playoffs. He says he knows a lot of hate is coming his way.
“I know, obviously, a lot’s going to be made about me, but this is about the players being prepared really well and playing really well. Pete’s not going to tackle anybody, I’m not going to throw any touchdowns,” Kiffin said.
“College GameDay” will be on campus as Kiffin and the Tigers return to the center of the college football world, but Kiffin wants to keep his focus on the field. He says the team has experience blocking out the noise after the Clemson game.
“This is the first SEC game. Both teams are 2-0, and we’ve got to prepare really well. And it won’t be about all the other stuff and all the noise and everything; it will be about ‘How well did we practice, how well did we prepare, so how well do we play on game day?'” Kiffin noted.
More than 30 staff members and players have switched schools since last year’s matchup between Ole Miss and LSU. Kiffin says the coaching staffs are very familiar with one another, but Ole Miss coach Pete Golding will have more intel on him than he does on his former defensive coordinator.
“This benefits them more than us in the coaching way, because Pete sat there for the years we were together and heard me say what we don’t like to play against,” Kiffin explained.
LSU and Ole Miss kick off in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 6:30 on Saturday.
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