Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford was never going to feel like an ordinary SEC road trip.
Now officials on both sides of the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry are making sure the emotions surrounding the former Rebels coach remain focused on football when the Tigers arrive for Saturday night’s showdown.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said officials have been communicating with their counterparts in Mississippi about security surrounding LSU’s visit, while expressing hope that the weekend ultimately showcases the Southern hospitality normally associated with the region.
That hospitality could face a serious stress test.
Kiffin returns to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as LSU’s head coach after spending six seasons in charge at Ole Miss. His departure for Baton Rouge came before the Rebels began their College Football Playoff run last season, creating plenty of hard feelings among a fan base that had watched him turn Ole Miss into a national contender.
Pete Golding, previously Kiffin’s defensive coordinator, took over the Rebels and now gets his first opportunity to coach against his former boss.
Oxford is preparing accordingly.
Law enforcement plans an increased presence around the city and campus, with additional officers and mounted patrols helping manage the crowds expected for one of the biggest games on the college football calendar.
Ole Miss officials have emphasized that the added preparation is intended to keep the spectacle where it belongs: inside the stadium and on the football field.
Kiffin understands what awaits him.
He has acknowledged the heightened security surrounding the trip and has also presented the enormous amount of attention directed toward him as something that could benefit his players. With much of the emotion centered on their coach, the Tigers can concentrate on the actual assignment.
That assignment is considerable.
LSU enters the matchup ranked No. 7, while Ole Miss sits at No. 8. Both teams are unbeaten, making the latest chapter of the rivalry important well beyond Kiffin’s return.
The winner will leave Oxford with an early SEC statement and another valuable result for a potential College Football Playoff résumé.
Golding has encouraged Ole Miss supporters to make the environment difficult for LSU while also keeping the intensity within reasonable boundaries.
That may be the challenge of the night.
Ole Miss fans have waited months for Kiffin to return. LSU knows exactly what kind of reception its coach is likely to receive. Police are preparing for massive crowds, national attention is descending on Oxford, and two top-10 teams will be standing on opposite sidelines.
For all the conversation about security, coaching departures and bruised feelings, however, Saturday night still comes down to football.
And once the ball is kicked off, both programs would undoubtedly prefer that to become the biggest story.
