Oxford was already going to be loud on Saturday. ESPN’s College GameDay is coming to town. Ella Langley is scheduled to perform. No. 7 LSU is facing No. 8 Ole Miss in the SEC opener. Then there is the man standing on the opposite sideline. Lane Kiffin is coming back.

For Ole Miss, this isn’t just about getting revenge on an ex-coach; the stakes couldn’t be higher. After their first-ever playoff berth, the No. 8 Rebels are trying to prove they are still serious national contenders without Kiffin. Dropping an early SEC matchup at home to their biggest rival would completely derail their championship dreams before October even starts.

He spent six seasons at Ole Miss and went 55-19. His final season ended with an 11-1 regular-season record, 13-2 overall, and a College Football Playoff berth. Then he left for LSU, taking the job while the Rebels were preparing for the postseason. Ole Miss refused to let him coach the playoff games after he accepted the LSU job. That is why Ole Miss is taking Saturday’s game seriously.

Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce sent a message to students ahead of the game, reminding them that what happens around campus will reflect on the university. He asked students to respect visiting fans, look after one another, and keep their behavior under control.

“How we carry ourselves this week, whether we’re cheering in the stadium, walking across campus, or welcoming visitors into the Grove, reflects on our entire university,” wrote Boyce in his memo sent to students. “Here’s the standard we expect to see from our campus community…

“Respect fellow fans, visitors, and our campus. Look out for each other, be accountable for your actions, and make decisions that keep everyone safe. Represent Ole Miss with pride and positivity. Support our student-athletes by showing up early, getting on your feet, and cheering so loud that the Vaught shakes!”

The university is preparing for more than noise. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said the school is adding security and preparing for different scenarios. Extra police units and mounted patrols from Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans are expected in Oxford. Carter said the goal is to make sure the game itself remains the main story. Kiffin has noticed the buildup, too.

He has said he expects “hatred” when he walks back into Oxford. He has also talked about potential safety concerns surrounding the trip. His explanation to his LSU players has been that much of the attention will fall on him rather than on them. That could change the way the game feels before the opening kickoff.

Kiffin is likely to hear the hostility during warmups. LSU’s bus arrival could become another flashpoint for fans. Every appearance by Kiffin on the video board will give the crowd another reason to react. And if LSU struggles early, the noise could become relentless. That’s probably why Chancellor Boyce sent that memo.

Trinidad Chambliss has already warned about the environment at Oxford this Saturday

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has already encouraged the home crowd to make life difficult for the Tigers. LSU enters the game 2-0 but has shown one obvious weakness. The Tigers have shown a pattern of slow starts in both games. Against Louisiana Tech, Sam Leavitt threw three first-half interceptions before settling down and helping LSU win 45-14.

“It’s going to be a crazy weekend in Oxford,” Trinidad said. “But it’s just another game, though. Everything that’s going on outside of football really doesn’t matter to us. We’re just worried about football. If you told me how my life would look right now, I guess a year ago or a couple of years ago, I’d tell you you’re crazy.”

Lane Kiffin will not be the first college football coach to walk back into a stadium where the fans believe he left them behind. Nick Saban already experienced something close to it.

Saban left LSU for the NFL after the 2004 season. He eventually returned to Baton Rouge in 2008 as Alabama’s head coach. By then, the situation had changed completely. Saban was no longer the coach LSU fans had celebrated. He was leading the program they wanted to beat.

Alabama won that game 27-21 in overtime. Saban did not need to win over the LSU crowd. He had a different job. Keep his team focused, survive the noise, and get out with the result. That approach is probably the most useful model for Lane Kiffin. He cannot control what happens when LSU’s bus arrives. He cannot control the reaction when his name appears on the video board. He can control how much his players get pulled into it.

Nick Saban survived that hostile night in Death Valley by tuning out the crowd completely and letting his team’s execution do the talking. For Kiffin, the takeaway is simple: you cannot quiet fifty thousand angry fans with words or extra security. The only way to tame that kind of hatred is to block out the noise, stick to the game plan, and walk away with a win.