A massive game in the SEC title race will take center stage in Baton Rouge when No. 9 Ole Miss visits No. 13 LSU for a renewal of the a long-running rivalry that, since 2008, has included battling for the Magnolia Bowl Trophy. This will be the 113th meeting all-time between the two former SEC West foes, with LSU holding a 65-42-4 advantage in the series.
The matchup also features two of the SEC’s most established coaches, as LSU coach Brian Kelly (190) and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin (100) are the only active coaches in the conference with 100 career FBS wins. Kiffin has tallied 39 of those wins since arriving in Oxford, Mississippi and with a victory on Saturday he could become the fastest to 40 wins in Ole Miss program history.
In terms of the SEC title race, there is a bit for Ole Miss to steal a win in a hostile environment after losing at home two Kentucky on Sept. 28. The Rebels remaining schedule includes visits from Oklahoma and Georgia over the course of the next month, so taking a second conference loss this early in the SEC slate would create an uphill path to Atlanta. LSU, also, has some huge SEC matchups remaining on the schedule — most notably Texas A&M (Oct. 26) and Alabama (Nov. 9) — but have yet to take a conference loss and have won four straight since the season-opening defeat to USC.
LSU vs. Ole Miss: Need to know
Two high-powered offenses: Last season’s showdown was an offensive thriller, with Ole Miss topping LSU 55-49 in Oxford in a game that featured 1,343 combined yards of offense. And while Jayden Daniels and others are off to the NFL, early season results suggest that we could be in store for another back-and-forth battle between these two teams. Ole Miss still has star quarterback Jaxson Dart, top wide receiver Tre Harris. The Rebels currently rank No. 2 nationally in total offense (576.8 yards per game), No. 2 in passing offense (372.8 yards per game) and No. 2 in yards per play (8.11). And while LSU has turned the offense over to Garrett Nussmeier, the standard has been maintained with the junior quarterback currently ranked first in the SEC in passing touchdowns (15) and No. 5 nationally in passing yards per game (330.4).
Ole Miss run defense has answered the challenge: Playing opposite a high-powered offense can stress a defense, but Ole Miss currently owns the nation’s best point differential (+219) and yardage differential (+1,856). The Rebels’ defense ranks No. 1 among all FBS teams in rushing defense (63.7 yards per game allowed), sacks (24), tackles for loss (63) and is tied with Texas allowing only three offensive touchdowns on the season.
Don’t underestimate Death Valley at night: LSU home games under the lights have long been considered one of the great environments and home field advantages in all of college football, and that’s especially been the case since Brian Kelly’s arrival. The Tigers are 12-0 in Saturday night games under Kelly, who also boasts a 16-1 record at home against all opponents in all kickoff times. But mystique spans multiple coaching regimes and multiple national title winners, as LSU is 108-15 in night games at Tiger Stadium since 2000.
How to watch LSU vs. Ole Miss live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Tiger Stadium — Baton Rouge, La.
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
LSU vs. Ole Miss prediction, picks
This game seems ripe to produce chaos and confusion, with a back-and-forth style that may come down to which team has the ball last. While Ole Miss has been the higher-performing team statistically, LSU should come out of the off week with a strong focus on what’s needed to win and maintain an unbeaten start to SEC play. In this series the home team is 10-2 across the last 12 and covered the spread in nine of the last 10. We’re projecting a continuation of that trend here. Pick: LSU +3.5
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