Everyone is eagerly waiting for LSU’s trip to Oxford in Week 3 of the 2026 season. On his part, Lane Kiffin has tried to play it down. But Ole Miss head coach was never going to do that, especially after all that has happened in the offseason.

“Going to be a madhouse, an absolute madhouse, and this whole place is ready … been ready,” said Golding during a wide-ranging interview with On3.

In 2025, Ole Miss upset LSU 24-19 in Oxford, but at that time, Kiffin was the Rebels’ head coach. After his controversial move to LSU, Golding took the reins at Ole Miss. Interestingly, this rivalry has heavily favored the host team, with the host team winning 12 of the last 14 matchups. However, “LSU outmatches the Rebels on paper,” as per Yahoo Sports analysts.

Winning against Ole Miss isn’t Kiffin’s immediate focus. “I’m not even there yet,” said Kiffin, referring to the matchup against the Rebels. “We’ve got a huge opener with Clemson.”

Funnily, Kiffin has himself increased the stakes of the move. If his move to LSU wasn’t enough to infuriate the Ole Miss fans, the LSU head coach ignited the tensions with his comments about his former program. In an interview with Vanity Fair last month, Kiffin said that during his Ole Miss days, Mississippi’s racial history hampered the recruitment of Black players.

Kiffin even stated that those recruits’ grandparents would not let their kids move to Oxford. But he doesn’t face those hurdles in Baton Rouge. While he later clarified he didn’t mean any harm, Ole Miss didn’t take time to fire back. From alums to former coaches, everyone took their turn to call Kiffin out. But that wasn’t all Kiffin said about the Rebels.

The LSU head coach said if Ole Miss allowed him to coach the Rebels for the 2025 playoff run, they would definitely reach the national title game. Under Golding, Ole Miss won two postseason games but fell short in the CFP semifinal against Miami. Yet, the Rebels believe in their new head coach.

“We knew as a team what we had in PG (Golding) last year, and we do even more now,” said QB Trinidad Chambliss. “It was unsettling, not a good feeling, with all the talk last year, even before we got in the playoffs, about whether our coach was leaving or was he staying. But that was not the focus of the team because we knew how good of a team we were whether Coach Kiffin left or stayed. The roots were still in place, and they’re even deeper now that we’re rolling with PG.”

Although this will be the Tigers’ first time under Kiffin, LSU leads the all-time series 64–43–4. This season, LSU brings in elite QB Sam Leavitt, while Ole Miss retains Chambliss.

Pete Golding’s preparations for this season

Lane Kiffin’s departure cost Ole Miss, as several players and staff followed him. But Peter Golding secured a No. 2-ranked portal class, hauling in 29 incoming transfers. Among them are Auburn transfer Deuce Knight, LSU transfer Carius Curne, Baylor transfer Keaton Thomas, and Georgia transfer Joenel Aguero.

“From left to right in our two deep, it’s as talented a defense as I’ve been around in a while with the right type of kids,” said Golding. “We really got hurt toward the end of the year with a lack of depth in the interior defensive line. That really got us late, especially in the last drive of the Miami game and just not having the ability to rotate guys and taking too many snaps.”

On the flip side, LSU landed the No. 1-ranked portal class in the nation. Even the Tigers invested a lot in their 2026 roster. “We pay a player a lot, and we have a lot of expectations for them,” said Kiffin.

Kiffin’s abrupt move to LSU left him unable to coach the Rebels, but he sees the Tigers as a better place to chase a national title.