College Football Week 3 Game of the Week: LSU at Ole Miss
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 9/17/2026
At 7:30pm EST on Saturday, September 19th, quite possibly the most important game of the 2026 CFB season will take place in Oxford, Missouri.
If you don't follow College Football or you just live under a rock, Lane Kiffin's transition from Ole Miss's Head Coach to LSU's after the 2025 regular season but before the Playoffs was one of the most controversial and scrutinized moves in history. Only 8 months later, Kiffin will bring his Tigers back to his former home stadium where they will experience one of the most hostile crowds in football history.
The fact that this game takes bad blood to a WHOLE new level makes this the game of the week, but add on that it's between the #7 and #8 team in the country, and both team's SEC opener of the season.
Going into hostile territory, Kiffin's LSU Tigers are still favored by 2.5 points. This comes even after LSU starting QB Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful on the injury report last night, just 3 days before kickoff. Leavitt played one bad half of football in LSU's last matchup against Louisiana Tech but besides that has played lights out both through the air and on the ground. Backup QB Landen Clark will be getting snaps at practice this week in preparation for Leavitt's game time decision.
If Leavitt doesn't play LSU will have some serious making up to do because more than any other game this season, Ole Miss will be coming to play. After their 2-0 start against #24 Louisville and Charlotte, QB Trinidad Chambliss has been on fire. A 4-TD performance against ranked-Louisville set the tone for the season before he thoroughly dominated the woeful-Charlotte with efficient passing before being taken out in the 3rd Quarter.
So how will these teams fair against each other?
Since they both faced a ranked team in Week 1, they have experience against decent teams but nothing like what they'll face Saturday. While they've both shown great offenses, LSU looked unstoppable against Clemson and Ole Miss looked more efficient that high-powered. That was with Sam Leavitt at the helm though, and if he can't play this game might be in serious jeopardy for the Tigers.
Their defenses will be the key in Saturday's matchup. LSU's pass rush is definitely a work in progress but has the right players to get there while Ole MIss' elite pass rush from 2025... are basically all on LSU now. With Lane Kiffin's departure, so went some of the best playmakers from the Rebels. A difference that I see showing this weekend.
So the defense should go to LSU at least in pressuring the Quarterback but what say the running games? Another factor that will rely heavily on Leavitt's health. When LSU can run the RPO with their starter, they are almost impossible to beat along with RB Dilin Jones who is off to a monster start to the season.
For Ole Miss, Kewan Lacy is one of the most skilled running backs in the league but has played good rather than elite to start the season. With LSU's defense averaging legitimately .6 yards per carry, with Quarterbacks at -30 yards on 26 carries.
Even with Leavitt's possible missing of the game, the run game should belong to LSU even with Trinidad Chambliss' abilities.
So what have we learned?
The game's possession and tempo should be controlled by LSU's run game and defense but they're in serious jeopardy of not being able to take advantage of it if they don't have Leavitt in the game. Even last week against lowly Louisiana Tech, LSU had 4 turnovers in the first half including 3 INTS from Leavitt. If the Tigers come anywhere close to that figure this week they'll stand no chance against a great Ole Miss team who is playing with everything on the line and with every motivation to stick it to their old coach.
If the Tigers do play Leavitt though, I wouldn't be surprised if Lane Kiffin's wrath and pettiness, combined with the team he's put together in Baton Rouge wins this game by a few scores.
Can't wait for Saturday.
-Z.D.
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