Week 3 of the College Football season features one of its marquee matchups between the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers. Not only from a sporting standpoint, but also because of Lane Kiffin’s highly anticipated return to Oxford, this time coaching a different program.
His controversial departure from the University of Mississippi sparked endless backlash, and to this day, many people still hold a grudge against the coach. Whit Weeks, one of the Tigers’ standout players, said Kiffin is fully prepared for a hostile reception at his former home.
“I haven’t really thought about that,” Weeks said during his press conference. “But, I mean, I know he’s going to get it. I know they don’t like him up there. But he’s prepared for that. I mean, it is what it is. He’s done it before in his career. I know he’s more prepared than anybody.”
It won’t be long before Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field is rocking, with the home crowd sure to make its presence felt. Will the Rebels be able to take advantage of that, or will everything off the field take a back seat once the football starts flying?
Kiffin doesn’t appear to be welcome in Oxford anymore
Lane Kiffin’s fall from grace at Ole Miss stems from a departure that local fans view as the ultimate betrayal: abandoning the program on the cusp of the College Football Playoff to accept the head coaching position at LSU, a direct SEC rival.
After spending years building the Rebels into a legitimate national powerhouse and gaining the unwavering trust of Oxford, Kiffin exited at the absolute peak of the team’s postseason push. For many, this move was not well received.
Leaving a playoff-bound roster to sign with a division rival for greater prestige and money shattered his legacy with the fan base, instantly transforming him from a revered architect into persona non grata in Mississippi.
