LSU vs. Ole Miss live updates: No. 7 Tigers clash with No. 8 Rebels as Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford

Louisville exposed some holes in the Ole Miss secondary during the Rebels' 41-38 Week 1 victory. If ever there's a coach capable of exploiting those holes, it's Lane Kiffin. He's an offensive mastermind who knows the defensive buttons that Ole Miss coach Pete Golding likes to press. LSU's defense hasn't been truly tested yet, but if the Tigers can hold their own on that side of the ball, look for Kiffin's play-calling to make the difference in a tight game. Pick: LSU -2.5

This week's secondary ticket market for a sold-out showdown illustrates the fervor around the matchup. The get-in price as of Thursday afternoon sat at or above $500 at popular third-party ticket sites. Additionally, local police beefed up security ahead of Kiffin's return, bringing in reinforcements to help control what's expected to be a rowdy environment. It won't be Kiffin's first time returning to an SEC stadium where he previously coached — he's also been back to Tennessee — but the anticipation has never been quite at this level before. It will make for an intimidating atmosphere as the Tigers play their first road game under Kiffin.

LSU raised some eyebrows when it listed starting quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful on its initial SEC-mandated injury report Wednesday night. Leavitt didn't throw at Wednesday's practice while dealing with an upper body issue, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported. However, Zenitz reported that Leavitt did participate in LSU's Thursday walkthrough. If he's unable to play, LSU's primary backup is Elon transfer Landen Clark, who totaled nearly 3,000 yards last season as a dual-threat playmaker while earning CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year.

While serving as the Ole Miss defensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin for three seasons, Rebels head coach Pete Golding became well-acquainted with coaching against Kiffin's offenses in practice. Former Rebels offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is now in the same role with the Tigers. It sets up an intriguing and multi-layered chess match. While LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker isn't as familiar with the Rebels and their new offensive coordinator John David Baker, Kiffin worked with Baker previously and can share plenty of insights on how to handle Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.

Curious who will win tonight in Oxford? The CBS Sports college football experts have weighed in. Interestingly, the group doesn't seem to have much faith in the home underdog Rebels being able to get the victory over former coach Lane Kiffin. 

Check out the full rundown of the expert picks here including the one expert picking Ole Miss to cover the spread and win the game. 

From its famous Grove tailgating scene to the iconic Square, Oxford is rocking today for Lane Kiffin's return. I arrived in Oxford on Wednesday and you could already sense the energy felt a bit different. It wasn't your typical Wednesday, that's for sure. Every day since, the city has gotten more crowded and more alive as fans flocked in from all around the state for the game. By Friday afternoon, you couldn't find parking anywhere on the Square, bars and restaurants had lines out the door and businesses were booming. 

It's a hot one in Oxford today with temperatures climbing to 95 degrees but it hasn't turned away the crowds. Expect an all-time home crowd inside Vaught-Hemingway tonight. 

Need to kill some time ahead of tonight's game? Perhaps I can interest you in a new biography on Lane Kiffin written by yours truly. The book is "Lane Being Lane: The Story of Lane Kiffin College Football's Agent of Chaos" and details the fascinating life Lane has lived, full of highs and lows, to get him to his current position at LSU. It was published this Tuesday, adding another layer to what was already an interesting week for Kiffin. 

If you're even remotely intrigued in learning more about who Lane Kiffin is, you'll love it. But if nothing else, the chapters on his time at Ole Miss alone would be helpful in understanding why both Kiffin and Ole Miss have unresolved feelings toward each other that are powering the emotional return on Saturday night. 

If you need a refresher course on what is driving a lot of the interest and angst in Oxford this weekend, you should start with my story from last year on the behind-the-scenes action that led led to Lane Kiffin's decision to pick LSU over staying at Ole Miss or leaving for Florida. 

A key part of his decision-making analysis: He didn't want to turn out like former Kentucky coach Mark Stoops. Lane worried that all it would take was a bad season or two and the fans that proclaimed to love him then would turn on him. "If he stayed and passed up the LSU job now, he said he'd risk becoming Mark Stoops and missing his chance at a big job."

Read much more about all that went into Lane's decision to leave here.