The college football offseason is upon us, but with spring practices starting up around the country again the taste of football and the smell of freshly cut grass is in the air. So too is the anticipation … and much of it centers around new LSU coach Lane Kiffin.

Speaking on the Andy & Ari On3 show this week, college football analyst Ari Wasserman compared Kiffin’s return to Oxford, Miss., to a famous NBA moment. Kiffin will head back on Sept. 19.

“This is LeBron James going back to Cleveland with the Heat for the first time, but LeBron being a troll on top of it,” Wasserman said.

Lane Kiffin, of course, famously left Ole Miss after leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff. Because of the timing, he didn’t coach his 11-1 team in the postseason.

Instead he watched as interim and now permanent Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding led the Rebels to the semifinals. Expectations will remain high in Oxford this fall.

But they’re also sky high in Baton Rouge. And after a season opener against Clemson, Lane Kiffin will lead his squad into the hornet’s nest in Oxford two weeks later.

“There is no missing this, and the thing is the week leading up to it is going to be bananas,” Andy Staples said. “Because Lane Kiffin is not going to suddenly go silent. He will tweet. He will post things on Instagram. He will be asked questions and he will not be able to help himself when he answers.

“Other coaches would try to tamp down the drama. ‘Ah, it’s not a big deal. Ah, it’s just another game. We’re just focused on them because they’re on the schedule this week.’ Lane’s not going to do that.”

Everyone will be looking forward to it. The coverage will be insane.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Staples said. “And think about it, this is Week 3.”

A lot will be riding on the outcome of the game. But reputations will also be further cemented in the week leading up to the game. Will Lane Kiffin play it a little differently, now situated atop a college football powerhouse?

“Coaches usually want to downplay,” Wasserman said. “They want to downplay the off-the-field story stuff, typically. I think Lane Kiffin’s going to want to promote it.”