It is just the third game of the college football season.
But for Ole Miss and LSU, the tension-filled return of Lane Kiffin on Saturday night to Oxford, Mississippi could lead to the National Guard being called.
"I'm thinking about having to send him (Kiffin) in on an F-16 and maybe the team on a C-130," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry told ESPN.
"Security is going to be really tight. You know, we might need the National Guard out there to protect our team. I think it's going to be an interesting weekend."
The Rebels being undefeated and ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll would normally be enough of an early-season story in northern Mississippi.
But ESPN's College GameDay isn't making the trip to Ole Miss just to hype up an SEC battle vs. the No. 7-ranked and also undefeated Tigers.
Kiffin's November 2025 decision to trade Ole Miss for LSU wasn't just controversial.
It captured the chaos of modern college football, which has been overrun by NIL, the transfer portal, super-sized conference realignment and uninhibited coaching egos.
"This is going to be more entertaining than Season 3 of Jersey Shore," one fan tweeted.
Kiffin was booed and effectively run out of town as he took his coaching talents to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Ole Miss coaches, star players and a bitter cross-state rivalry followed in his wake.
"Well ⦠since you asked," College GameDay's account tweeted.
"WE'LL SEE YOU IN OXFORD WEEK 3 FOR LSU AND OLE MISS!"
Gov. Landry was joking about the need for military planes and the National Guard to protect Kiffin.
But Ole Miss is planning to increase its police presence to help with crowd control for the nationally televised Tigers vs Rebels showdown.
"We've had âÂÂhuge games in Oxford before. We're not naive," Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told the Memphis Touchdown Club.
"We understand that there's some other storylines to this one. We're going to be prepared for all scenarios. We're going to have some bolstered security and âÂÂthings like that that I think we'll be good. The hope is that we can keep the play âÂÂon the field the main story."
Kiffin has acknowledged that he regrets how he handled his Ole Miss exit, which became an international sports storyline.
"Yeah, I do," Kiffin told ESPN. "But I think that's a good thing that I look at life that way now, instead of saying, 'No, I don't. I was right.' I look at things always now, like, how could I have done them better? But it's also easier when you're further removed. There's no emotion involved."
Kiffin was previously fired in 2008 by the NFL's Oakland Raiders, and then-owner Al Davis called Kiffin a 'flat-out liar.'
USC also fired Kiffin in 2013 near the Los Angeles Airport tarmac.
On Saturday, Kiffin will represent LSU in Oxford, while his former Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding will coach the Rebels.
One team will remain undefeated and improve to 3-0.
But the biggest winner will likely be College GameDay and football fans across America -- as long as a tense scene remains safe.
"It's beyond just crowd control," an Oxford Police Department spokesperson told Front Office Sports.
"Just extra presence where they can be âÂÂthere and on horseback. One of the coolest things is they kind of have a good vantage point. They're up âÂÂhigher. They can see things and they can look in the crowds and make sure that everyone's OK. It's a public safety âÂÂthing for â sure."
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