It’s the game everyone has talked about for nine months and the game Ole Miss players and coaches have tried to avoid talking about.
It’s time for LSU and the return of Lane Kiffin to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Oxford is going to be a wild place for the next week. A rival, ranked in the top 10 led by the Rebels’ former headline-seeking coach and a pair of ex-Rebels who still owe the school buyout money. College Gameday will be in town, too.
For the players, especially quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the buildup is impossible to ignore. But he’s trying to keep the focus narrow.
“It’s going to be a crazy weekend in Oxford, but it’s just another game,” Chambliss said. “Everything that’s going on outside of football really doesn’t matter to us. We’re just worried about football.”
That’s easier said than done when ESPN’s flagship show is setting up shop outside the stadium and the entire sport is watching. Chambliss admitted he never pictured himself in a moment like this.
“Not at all,” he said. “I’ve said this before, but if you told me what my life would look like right now a year ago or a couple of years ago, I would have told you that you were crazy. I never envisioned that I’d be playing at a university that’s hosting College GameDay and playing in one of the biggest games in the entire country. It’s pretty cool. It’s a great opportunity, and I’m blessed.”
The familiarity between the two programs has been one of the talking points all offseason. LSU’s staff is full of former Ole Miss assistants. The Tigers’ offense looks a lot like what Chambliss ran last year. But he doesn’t think that gives either side much of an edge.
“Maybe, but honestly, we aren’t really focused on that,” Chambliss said. “It’s kind of two teams that run similar things offensively, at least. I know the defensive coordinators are different, but Coach Weis was the offensive coordinator last year, and JDB was under Kiffin when he was here in 2021. Ideally, they’re similar offenses, but you just have to go out there and play ball. We’re going to scheme them, they’re going to scheme us, and it’s going to come down to whoever executes the best.”
Facing his former head coach and offensive coordinator adds another layer to a week already packed with storylines. Chambliss said it will feel strange, but not uncomfortable.
“It’s going to be weird, but it is what it is,” he said. “I’ve been seeing PG, JDB and Coach Judge for the past eight months, so I’m used to seeing them every day and I love seeing them every day. It’s going to be cool. I might say what’s up to them before the game, but I don’t know. We’ll see.”
If there’s one thing Chambliss is certain about, it’s what he wants from the crowd. He didn’t hide it.
“Bring it,” he said. “Make it as loud as you can and put as much pressure as you can on that offense. I know the fans are going to bring it and be super bought into the game. I’m excited for it.”
The buildup is over. The talking is mostly done. LSU week is here, and Oxford is about to feel it.
