Roman Harper Calls Lane Kiffin 'The Joker' Ahead of Ole Miss vs. LSU Next Season

Kiffin's return to Oxford has officially been set for next fall, SEC schedule release locks in the 2026 slate.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Roman Harper with Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels received the official 2026 schedule on Thursday night with multiple blockbuster matchups on the docket for next fall.

As announced on Wednesday, the Rebels will open the season either Sat., Sept. 5 or Sun., Sept. 6 with a neutral site matchup against Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

From there, the Rebels will hold the program's home-opener on Sept. 12 against Charlotte, but the "Game of the Year" will be the week after.

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers will make their way to Oxford on Sept. 19 in what will be the ex-Ole Miss head coach's return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium where it almost certain College GameDay will be in attendance.

After a messy exit in Oxford, the Week 3 matchup between Ole Miss and LSU will be must-see TV with SEC Network's Roman Harper calling Kiffin "The Joker" leading into it.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Roman Harper's Take: Kiffin in the Villain Role

“I think he’s The Joker in all of this,” Harper said during the SEC schedule reveal show. “The fact that, The Joker, you think he’s going to have some kind of brilliant plan or, like, some grand scheme of why they’re doing actually what they’re doing. No. He just wants to see everything burn sometimes, and that is okay.

“Lane’s going to be exactly who Lane is all the time. I’m kind of here for it. It’s fine. I think, ultimately, the game’s still going to come down to execution.”

“Ole Miss is going to want this game, emotionally,” Harper added. “The school, Oxford itself, all of these things that feel personally that they helped Lane Kiffin become this better person and helped him grow in all these other ways, to only see Lane Kiffin leave you the first chance that he could to another place that you may not think is better than you. That ultimately, he chose somebody else.

“It’s going to be a great … soap opera that continues to go. And every time these two teams match up, this is all we’re going to talk about over and over and over again. It will not stop.”

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