By Henry Hansen
On September 19, 2026, Lane Kiffin made his return to Ole Miss for an SEC game. This was Kiffin’s first game back since he left Ole Miss in the middle of their playoff run last season. Tensions were as high as could be.
Lane Kiffin is a CFB head coach who, last year, was the coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. He had led them into the playoff, and he was one of the most loved people in Oxford, Mississippi. Just as he got them the #6 seed in the CFP, he left for the LSU Tigers. This was a massive blow because their season seemed all but over after Kiffin’s departure. They managed two wins, one against #3 Georgia, but eventually fell to the Miami Hurricanes in the semifinal. This made Kiffin the most hated man in Oxford, so much so that every piece of merchandise even associated with Kiffin was burned all around campus. Ole Miss players and students vowed revenge on Kiffin for what he had done to them. It was unsurprising, of course, when the SEC named the week three game: LSU @ Ole Miss. People went crazy, with ticket prices skyrocketing to $300 due to the magnitude of the matchup.
When the day finally came, the Ole Miss campus was boiling. Many students held signs, saying “F*** Lane Kiffin,” “Lane Kiffin is a B****,” and other messages. There were offensive bed sheets hung around the campus leading up to the game, with messages targeting Kiffin. It would be safe to say that Kiffin would need to have at least a dozen security guards to even set foot on the Ole Miss campus. After warmups, Kiffin had his team run out while the Ole Miss team ran out just to avoid the booing of the fans. However, the team seemed shaken in the first half, because by the end of the half Ole Miss was up 24-7. After halftime, LSU sprang to life, scoring 14 unanswered points in the third, while also tacking on a field goal. However, Trinidad Chambliss, a player whom Kiffin recruited to Ole Miss, led the Rebels on a drive to go up by 8. With the clock winding down, Sam Leavitt led LSU down to the 6-yard line, where he proceeded to miss a crucial touchdown throw, which led to fourth down. After the snap, Leavitt threw it, and it was deflected by Kam Franklin’s helmet and fell into the arms of an awaiting Jaylon Braxton. The defense ran down the field in celebration, and Kiffin stretched out his hand to shake Joenel Aguero’s, but Aguero clutched his own hands behind his back, not even acknowledging Kiffin. This was the ultimate revenge for the Rebels, as they had won the game 32-24.