LSU Football is seeking revenge against No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday night. Last season, the Tigers lost in heartbreaking fashion in Oxford by a freakish score of 55 to 49.
And yes, Rebels fans promptly stormed the field after knocking off the Tigers.
With this in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Tigers and Rebels have become rather familiar with each other through previous, hard-fought battles taking place in recent years.
When taking a closer look at the last nine matchups, dating all the way back to November of 2015, the average combined score from both teams in each game comes out to be approximately 81 points.
To put this unbelievable number into perspective, that’s roughly 11 touchdowns being scored in each game.
In the 2022 matchup between LSU and Ole Miss, the unranked Tigers, led by future Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, upset then-ranked No. 7 Rebels in a blowout.
And yes, LSU fans promptly stormed the field after knocking off the Rebels.
Are you starting to see a pattern?
During the offseason, many people circled this matchup on their calendars and labeled this as the most important game of the season for the purple and gold.
One question arises when looking forward to Saturday night: What does this year’s game have in store?
In regards to the expectations placed on improving from last year’s underwhelming performance against the Rebels, senior linebacker Greg Penn III says,” I try not to think about last year because it just wasn’t a great defensive output. This year we’re trying to be a whole new team and a whole new defense.”
Additionally, this pivotal SEC conference matchup is when Tiger Stadium’s official 100th anniversary will be recognized, and the centennial celebration will take place.
“I was talking to one of [our] trainers and they were like, ‘I haven’t really seen Tiger Stadium at its peak,’ and I said, ‘You’re going to see it this week,’” Penn explained. “I’m really excited.”
The Tigers have aspirations of adding yet another memory into the history books.
The fact that both teams are entering this game with one loss further emphasizes the importance of this matchup. The loser of this affair will be on the outside looking in for a spot in the newly formatted, 12-team College Football Playoff.
Currently, Ole Miss is favored by 3.5 points over LSU. However, LSU Football Head Coach Brian Kelly firmly believes that opponents walking away with a win in Death Valley is a daunting task.
“Before I even got here, it’s the history and tradition of Tiger Stadium,” Kelly stated. “Coming in here is a difficult feat and we’re just trying to live up to the tradition that has already been built.”
Hopefully, you don’t have a wedding or another event to attend this weekend. The slate of college football games this weekend is one of the best you’ll see all season long.
No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns face No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners in the infamous Red River Rivalry game, which is their first matchup as members of the SEC.
No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Eugene to play against No. 3 Oregon Ducks.
For late-night madness, the No. 18-ranked Kansas State Wildcats will face the Colorado Buffaloes, who are led by early Heisman-candidate wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.
Most importantly, the highly anticipated showdown between the Ole Miss Rebels and the LSU Tigers will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CST.
LSU looks to improve their record to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.
The all-time record of the LSU Tigers over the Ole Miss Rebels is 65-43-4.
