Urban Meyer Picks Winner of LSU vs. Ole Miss College Football Week 3 Showdown

College football’s game of the week kicks off in the SEC as Lane Kiffin makes his anticipated return to his former stomping grounds as LSU takes on Ole Miss.

And while the governor of Louisiana’s half-joking suggestion that the national guard be called out to protect Kiffin from the Rebels fan base may sound a little over the top, it’s true that Ole Miss will do its best to make him feel unwanted.

Aside from the soap opera around Kiffin, there’s plenty on the line football-wise as these SEC rivals meet both ranked in the AP top ten for the first time since 1962, as what happens here will go a long way in influencing the College Football Playoff selectors.

LSU vs. Ole Miss: Urban Meyer Makes His Pick

Urban Meyer Picks Winner of LSU vs. Ole Miss College Football Week 3 Showdown — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kiffin represents the new generation of coaches in Urban Meyer’s mind, someone who relies less on a rigid disciplinary approach and is more informal with his players, but one who also has the best players on the field in this matchup, and that’s what counts.

“I think LSU is the most talented team. Talent usually wins. I think this will be a walk-off and the legend of Lane Kiffin will continue to mesmerize [college football],” Meyer said on The Triple Option.

“Discipline will win this game. The team that screws around and makes [mistakes], turns the ball over, has stupid penalties, it always happens in these kinds of games.”

Something For LSU to Work On

Mistakes, turnovers, and penalties? Those were in abundance for LSU last weekend.

Despite the more pleasing 45-14 scoreline that accompanied Kiffin’s team’s eventual dominance over Louisiana Tech, the Tigers still had 10 accepted penalties that cost them 101 yards, and gave the ball away four times, including on Sam Leavitt’s throw near the goal line that became a 100-yard pick-six touchdown for the Bulldogs.

It was quite a difference from LSU’s confident debut two weeks ago, when they clobbered Clemson in a 51-10 massacre by rolling up 644 total yards, stacking up 309 on the ground, and went 11 of 16 on third down.

More of the former rather than the latter on the road against a motivated Ole Miss team and the narrative around Kiffin could change quickly in a way he wouldn’t prefer.

Meyer’s Advice? Be Ugly.

“You just saw the Wolverines, they won a dirty, nasty, ugly game. And how’d they do that? Played very disciplined ball. Didn’t turn the ball over. Played field position,” Meyer said of Michigan’s statement win over Oklahoma last week.

“That’s what this game’s gonna come down to. Who can play the most disciplined ball? You have an offensive coach in Lane Kiffin against a defensive minded Pete Golding. They’ve seen each other in practice for years. This is gonna be a very intriguing game.”

(Triple Option)

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