LSU-Ole Miss Game Drew 2nd Highest TV Audience This Season, But Not Close To LSU-Alabama Classic Of 2011

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

The nation tuned in to see the return of LSU football coach Lane Kiffin to Ole Miss on Saturday night on ABC.

The game that kicked off at 6:40 p.m. in Oxford, Mississippi, drew 10.9 million viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings, and was the second most watched game this season. The Ohio State-Texas game on Sept. 12 on ABC with an 8:39 p.m. kickoff raked in 13.9 million viewers.

10.9 million viewers for LSU-Ole Miss. 1.7 million for USC-Rutgers. Every week when the college football ratings are released CBS Sports executives look dumber and dumber. This makes Luka to the Lakers look smart. pic.twitter.com/0USN7nklZ8

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 24, 2026

No. 8 Ole Miss defeated No. 7 LSU, 32-24, in front of a record crowd of 70,003 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with twists and turns. Ole Miss took a 17-0 lead in the first half and 24-7 by halftime behind coach Pete Golding, who was Kiffin’s defensive coordiantor at Ole Miss from 2023-25 before replacing him.

LANE CLOSURE: Ole Miss Shuts Down Lane Kiffin’s Return And Shows Nothing That’s “Different”

Kiffin, who was Ole Miss’ coach from 2020-25 and dramatically turned around a usually mediocre program, directed his team back to tie the game 24-24 early in the fourth quarter and threatened to tie it in the final moments before the Rebels won it, as predicted in the Tiger Rag scouting report of last week by one staff member.

After picking Ole Miss to beat LSU, I have LSU beating Aggies – Tiger Rag’s August season guide. Updated Ole Miss score to 24-20 last week. pic.twitter.com/vzVWffoavc

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 24, 2026

No. 10 LSU (2-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) plays No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1 SEC) in prime time again Saturday on ABC at 6:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium.

The LSU brand is the only one in the country so far in two of the most-watched college football games this season. The Tigers’ 51-10 win over Clemson on Sept. 5 in Tiger Stadium drew 5.7 million viewers on ABC for an 8:40 p.m. kickoff.

The most-watched regular season game in LSU history remains the No. 1 Tigers’ “Game of the Century” at No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5, 2011, that drew 20.01 million viewers. LSU won 9-6 win in overtime as coach Les Miles beat Alabama coach Nick Saban, who was at LSU from 2000-04, for the second straight season. But Alabama won the rematch for the national championship at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 9, 2012, by 21-0.

LSU-Alabama 2011 remains the second most-watched college football regular season game of all time behind the “Game of the Century” in 2006 between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan, which drew 21.8 million for Ohio State’s 42-39 win at Ohio State.

Another “Game of the Century” between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama game on Nov. 9, 2019, remains the No. 5 most watched regular season college football game with 16.73 million viewers. LSU won that one, 46-41, on its way to winning the national championship at 15-0.