Lane Kiffin return to Ole Miss ignites SEC action: Game times, TV info

The Rebels’ leadership sent Kiffin packing rather than allow him to carry out his coaching duties through the postseason, appropriately concerned LSU’s new head coach might try to persuade Ole Miss players to follow him to Baton Rouge.

Rebels’ defensive coordinator Pete Golding assumed head coaching duties and led Ole Miss to College Football Playoff wins over Tulane in the first round and Georgia in the quarterfinals before Carson Beck and Miami eliminated them in the semifinals.

Saturday’s top-10 matchup featuring the No. 7-ranked Tigers (2-0) and the No. 8-ranked Rebels figures to be a good one.

If it’s not the game of the year, it will likely provide a setting like no other.

Kiffin was pelted with trash in 2021 when he returned as Ole Miss head coach to Tennessee — a program he left under a cloud of NCAA investigations after just one season (2009) in Knoxville.

A yellow golf ball and bottle of mustard were among the projectiles hurled Kiffin’s way in Neyland Stadium, and there are real concerns a dangerous reception awaits him in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

There were 51 fan ejections, 18 arrests and a $250,000 SEC fine for Tennessee as a result of the extracurricular activity.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry joked with ESPN on Monday about the level of security in order.

“I’m thinking about having to send him in on an F-16 and maybe the team on a C-130,” Landry told ESPN. “Security is going to be really tight. You know, we might need the National Guard out there to protect our team. I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend.”

College GameDay will be aired from the Ole Miss campus on Saturday morning, which should only fuel the hype.

According to ESPN, the lowest ticket price at noon on Friday was $594 — a contrast to the $10 get-in price for Georgia’s game at Arkansas.

The only other SEC game with as much anticipation on Saturday features the battle of first-year coaches at Florida and Auburn, with a get-in price of $253 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Here’s a look at the games involving SEC teams on Saturday:

Spread, Game Time, TV Channel

Georgia (-24.5) at Arkansas, Noon, ABC

Pick: Georgia 52, Arkansas 10

N.C. State at Vanderbilt (-3), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

Pick: Vanderbilt 31, N.C. State 24

Kentucky at Texas A&M (-15.5), 3:30 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Texas A&M 31, Kentucky 20

Florida State at Alabama (-19.5), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Pick: Alabama 34, Florida State 17

Miss. State at South Carolina -4, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network

Pick: South Carolina 29, Mississippi State 27

Troy at Missouri (-28), 7 p.m., SEC Network Plus

Pick: Missouri 40, Troy 17

Florida (-2.5) at Auburn, 7 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Florida 24, Auburn 21

LSU (-2.5) at Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Pick: LSU 45, Ole Miss 38

New Mexico at Oklahoma (-22.5), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

Pick: Oklahoma 34, New Mexico 13

Kennesaw State at Tennessee (-35.5), 7:45 p.m., SEC Network

Pick: Tennessee 45, Kennesaw State 14

UTSA at Texas (-30.5), 8 p.m., SEC Network Plus

Pick: Texas 38, UTSA 24

Last Week: 13-2 overall, 5-10 spread