‘An Utter Disaster,’ ‘Would Look Like the Biggest Laughingstock’ — Ex-NFL QB Warns LSU HC Lane Kiffin Ahead of Heated Return to Ole Miss
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Lane Kiffin already knew his first trip back to Oxford as head coach of the LSU Tigers would be hostile. Dan Orlovsky believes the consequences of losing there would be much worse than a rough night in front of an angry crowd.
The former NFL quarterback argued Friday that Kiffin has put himself in a position where Saturday’s top-10 matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels is virtually a must-win for the LSU coach.
Dan Orlovsky Says Lane Kiffin Cannot Afford Ole Miss Loss
“There is no shot that Lane Kiffin can lose this game,” Orlovsky said in thevideo clip. “It would be an utter disaster. He would look like a complete joke if they lose this game.”
Orlovsky’s point centered on everything surrounding Kiffin’s return, not simply LSU’s place in the SEC standings. Kiffin coached Ole Miss for six seasons before leaving for LSU after the 2025 regular season, prior to the Rebels’ College Football Playoff run.
“He goes back there into their place and loses, he would have egg on his face all year,” Orlovsky said. “Sure, if they win the national title it would get erased and all that. He would look like the biggest laughingstock in college football.”
The atmosphere is expected to match the stakes. Ole Miss has increased security for Kiffin’s return, while ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Oxford for the first top-10 meeting between LSU and Ole Miss since 1962.
Both teams enter 2-0. No. 7 LSU opened Kiffin’s tenure with wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech, while No. 8 Ole Miss beat Louisville and Charlotte under first-year head coach Pete Golding.
LSU Brings More Than Kiffin Drama Into Oxford
The pressure Orlovsky described is amplified by what Kiffin left behind. Ole Miss reached the College Football Playoff after the 2025 regular season, and Golding took over a program that had already established itself as a national contender.
LSU has plenty of momentum of its own. The Tigers own aPFN College Defense Impact score of 95.7, ranking No. 1 nationally, giving Kiffin an elite unit for his first SEC game as LSU’s head coach.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt’s health adds another variable. Leavitt was upgraded from doubtful to questionable after returning to practice Thursday following back spasms, creatinginjury uncertainty before the biggest game of LSU’s young season. He has thrown for 574 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for five scores through two games.
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Saturday’s matchup is also the latest chapter in a rivalry that Ole Miss won 24-19 last season. Kiffin has tried to shift the pressure toward his former team this week, pointing to the Rebels’ returning talent and recent success.
Orlovsky is not buying that framing.
His argument is that Kiffin chose the move, inherited LSU’s expectations, and now has to walk back into the stadium he left behind. A loss would not end LSU’s season, but in Orlovsky’s view, it would make Kiffin the face of college football’s loudest punchline.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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