The most talked-about game of the offseason is almost here. Seventh-ranked LSU visits eighth-ranked Ole Miss this weekend in the first SEC matchup for both teams. Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin helped turn transfer running back Kewan Lacy and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss into stars at Ole Miss last season; now he has to stop them.

Cut 12 (15) “…up front.”

But, of course, the star-studded rosters aren’t why this game means so much to both fan bases. Kiffin left a sea of betrayed Ole Miss fans in his wake when he chose to come to LSU after leading the Rebels to their best six-year stretch in program history.  Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, though, says any off-field drama won’t change anything after kickoff.

Cut 13 (12) “…win the game.”

College games around the state kick off tomorrow with Louisiana Tech visiting  Baylor at 3:00. ULM hosts Southeastern Louisiana at 3:30. At 6:00, Nicholls visits Sam Houston, and Southern welcomes Louisiana Christian. At 7:00, McNeese is at UTRGV, Northwestern State heads to Weber State, and UL Lafeyette hosts UAB.

Cajuns head coach Michael Desormeaux says the Blazers will be a tough opponent.

Cut 20 (06) “…the clock.”

The Saints visit the Ravens on Sunday. Running back Alvin Kamara and defensive end Cameron Jordan are set to return from injuries suffered during training camp. Head coach Kellen Moore says Kamara, Travis Etienne and Kendre Miller will rotate.

Cut 14 (11) “…Travis will.”

Wide receiver Chris Olave, rookie D-tackle Christen Miller and defensive end Chase Young are questionable for New Orleans

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is doubtful to play with a hamstring injury.

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was upgraded to questionable for the Tigers game against Ole Miss this weekend. Leavitt participated in practice yesterday after being limited on Wednesday and initially being listed as doubtful.

Record crowds are expected in Oxford for Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss after leaving the school for LSU before the playoffs last year. Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks says he’s excited for the Tigers’ first road trip in a hostile SEC environment, but he doesn’t know what the crowd has in store for Kiffin.

Cut 20 (12) “…than anybody.”

Sally Stiel with the LSU Alumni Association says she hopes that won’t stop anyone from having a good time.

Cut 5 (10) “…be there.”

UL Lafayette takes on UAB tomorrow night after losing 49-30 to USC last week. Head coach Michael Desormeaux says the Cajuns did not get the outcome they wanted from their trip to California, but the experience can be good down the road. He says the team needs to have a mindset that it is never good enough.

Cut 17 (19) “…so far.”

UAB beat ULM 26-20 last week. The Warhawks will look to get their first win tomorrow when they host Southeastern Louisiana.

Louisiana Tech is heading to Baylor for a second straight road Power conference matchup. Two backup quarterbacks will start as Trey Kukuk fills in for Blake Baker and Nate Bennett replaces Florida transfer DJ Lagway.

Devin Lippold will likely get another start at QB McNeese, who is at UTRGV.

Louisiana Christian looks to knock off another F-C-S opponent this Saturday as the Wildcats visit Southern.

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt reportedly participated in LSU’s walkthrough practice session today. Leavitt was limited in practice yesterday and landed on LSU’s availability report as doubtful for the Tigers’ trip to Ole Miss.

If Leavitt is at all affected by injury, LSU will need its defense to continue the dominant form its had to start the season. Ole Miss’s backfield of Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy will be a step up from anything the Tigers have faced so far. Former national champion LSU linebacker Darry Beckwith says he’s less worried about Lacy replicating the success he had last year without Lane Kiffin, and the Tigers should focus on pressuring and containing Chambliss.

Cut 18 (18) “…stopping the run.”

Kickoff between the seventh-ranked Tigers and eighth-ranked Rebels is set for 6:30 Saturday.

Landry Kiffin, the daughter of LSU coach Lane Kiffin, took to TikTok today to speak out against a banner made by Ole Miss students in Oxford that made her the punchline of a vulgar sexual joke. The 21-year-old Ole Miss student has been dating LSU linebacker Whit Weeks since last year, but there have been untrue rumors in Oxford about Landry Kiffin being in a sexual relationship with a player who no longer attends Ole Miss. Kiffin says she hopes people realize there is an actual person behind the jokes they make…

Cut 10 (12) “… mind-blowing to me.”

Saints tight end Juwan Johnson returned to practice today after being sidelined with an illness yesterday. Wide receiver Chris Olave was limited with a hamstring injury, and defensive end Chase Young was limited with a calf issue after neither appeared on yesterday’s injury report. Long snapper Zach Wood is expected to miss four to six weeks with a calf strain. Wood signed with the Saints in 2017 and has not missed a game since.

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is doubtful to play when the Tigers visit Ole Miss on Saturday. Leavitt reportedly is dealing with a sore throwing shoulder and was listed on the initial SEC availability report last night. Tiger Rag Editor Glenn Guilbeau says he showed no signs of injury against LA Tech last week.

Cut 6 (10) “…now this.”

LSU’s defensive starters have yet to allow a touchdown this season, and the Tigers have allowed fewer yards than any other team in the country. Their dominant front seven has limited teams to just 18-and-a-half rushing yards per game and racked up 12 sacks. 2007 national champion LSU linebacker Darry Beckwith says this defense plays with a speed he hasn’t seen at LSU in recent years.

Cut 16 (12) “…can run.”

The Saints running back Alvin Kamara made a full return to practice yesterday. Kamara returned from an MCL sprain last week, and head coach Kellen Moore says the team played it safe against Detroit, but he feels good about Kamara playing this weekend. Quarterback Tyler Shough says that’s huge for the offense.

Cut 20 (16) “…the backfield.”

The Saints will head to Baltimore this week to face the Ravens. Baltimore has their own prolific veteran running back in Derrick Henry who Moore says will take a group effort to stop. Henry had 144 yards and three touchdowns in his season opener last week. The Saints and Ravnes kick off at noon on Sunday.

LSU announced plans to build a statue on campus of former two-time All-American women’s basketball player Slyvia Fowles. She’ll join four other Tiger greats…Bob Petit, Shaquille O’ Neal, Pete Maravich and Seimone Augustus.

ESPN is reporting that LSU star defensive end Princewill Umanmielen received court papers in the parking lot of the team’s practice facility as he’s a defendant in a lawsuit filed by Ole Miss that claims he and fellow LSU Tiger Devin Harper owe Ole Miss close to a million dollars for breaking revenue-sharing contracts. Legal analyst Franz Borghardt on whether the two LSU players actually owe Ole Miss money…

Cut 4 (13) “…to anything.”

Borghardt says the timing of this was no coincidence as the Tigers and Rebels prepare to square off in a top-10 matchup on Saturday.

Saints rookie tight end Oscar Delp returned to practice with a hamstring injury today while Juwan Johnson sat out with an illness. Defensive end Cameron Jordan was still limited as he recovers from a hamstring injury, but running back Alvin Kamara was a full participant. Head coach Kellen Moore said he feels good about Kamara playing against the Ravens this weekend after being sidelined the last month with an MCL sprain.

LSU’s defense is first in the nation in yards allowed per game, but the Ole Miss backfield of Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy will be its biggest test this season. Chambliss ran for 71 yards against the Tigers last season and defensive end Princewill Umanmielen says LSU will need to contain him.

Cut 17 (15) “…next play mentality.”

The NFL sent out a memo to teams today barring tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris from visiting, trying out or signing with an NFL team this season. The pair signed NFL contracts during training camp but tried to return to college football after being waived. The league said their commitment and participation at LSU made them ineligible to come back to the NFL this season. They were also left off of the LSU football roster despite winning a preliminary injunction to return to college sports and block the SEC rule preventing their return.