‘Today’s Gonna Be Wild,’ ‘Love This Sport’ — CFB Fans React As Lane Kiffin Faces Wrath of Ole Miss Fans During ESPN’s GameDay Segment
· Yahoo Sports
The rivalry between Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss reached another level Saturday morning when ESPN’s College GameDay went live from Oxford.
Within seconds of the broadcast beginning, Ole Miss fans in The Grove broke into loud chants aimed at their former head coach. The “(expletive) Lane Kiffin” chants could be heard clearly on the ESPN broadcast, setting the tone for what promises to be an intense day in Oxford.
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The moment quickly spread across social media as college football fans and analysts reacted to the early-morning chaos.
Ole Miss Fans Make Their Feelings Clear About Lane Kiffin
Kiffin’s return to Oxford has been one of the biggest storylines surrounding Saturday’s game. He left Ole Miss for LSU right before the playoffs, and this marks his first return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium since making the move.
The hostility was already clear before the game even started.
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One fan summed up the scene by writing, “(expletive) Lane Kiffin’ chants as soon as college gameday starts is exactly why we watch.”
Another fan pointed out how quickly things escalated, writing, “It’s 9am and 4 minutes into College Gameday and we got (expletive) Lane Kiffin chants. THIS IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL.”
The reaction was not limited to fans. Analyst Bobby also enjoyed the atmosphere, writing, “The ‘(expletive) Lane Kiffin’ chants have begun from the Ole Miss fans at Gameday. Going to be a fun day. Love this sport.”
Analyst Chris Phillips had a similar reaction, writing, “Gameday hasn’t been on for 60 seconds and the (expletive) Lane Kiffin’ chants have already begun. Yeah, today’s gonna be wild.”
News reporter Daisy Ruth also commented on how loud the crowd was, writing, “Ohhhhh those ‘(expletive) Lane Kiffin’ chants are louuuuud already.”
The reactions captured just how quickly the atmosphere in Oxford turned hostile toward the former Ole Miss coach.
Kiffin Knows What Awaits Him in Oxford
Kiffin has acknowledged the attention surrounding his return and understands that he will be at the center of it throughout the day.
“There’s just going to be so much attention and hatred and everything on me… really, the pressure is on them. We won seven games last year; they won 13,” Kiffin said ahead of the matchup.
His comments attempt to shift the focus toward Ole Miss and the expectations surrounding the Rebels, but the early scenes from The Grove showed that Kiffin will remain a major part of the conversation.
While the rivalry and Kiffin storyline have dominated the buildup, there is plenty at stake on the field as well.
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No. 7 LSU, whose offense ranks 29th on PFN’s CFB Offense Impact Metric, and No. 8 Ole Miss are meeting in a top-10 matchup with major College Football Playoff implications. It is also the first time since 1962 that the two programs have met while both ranked inside the top 10.
The winner will strengthen its position in the SEC race and its path toward the College Football Playoff.
But before the teams even take the field, Ole Miss fans have already made one thing clear: Kiffin’s return to Oxford is going to be anything but a quiet one.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.