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The deal is that until Saban arrived, LSU was an also ran. Now, 20 years or however long

Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:37 am
Posted by John Milner
Member since Jan 2015
7903 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:37 am
since Saban left, the program is settling back to the mean.

Posted by 1BIGTigerFan
100,000 posts
Member since Jan 2007
54746 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:40 am to
LSU is historically a top 12/13 program. Nice Try!
Posted by dores97
Member since Feb 2009
124 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:54 am to
Most of the fans on this board are too young to remember what LSU truly is historically. Middle of the pack, slightly better than Ole Miss/Arkansas/etc... Saban woke a "sleeping giant". The thing is, there are lots of potential "sleeping giants" out there, just needing the right coach at the right time.

But also remember, Saban was only hired after they had been turned down by their first 6-7 choices. They then realized where they were and set a salary record at the time to lure him away from Michigan State. Hiring a coach is a crap shoot. Sometimes you hit the lottery and sometimes it is a disaster. Usually it is somewhere in between.
Posted by SEC Doctor
Member since Aug 2024
9570 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 8:59 am to
quote:

since Saban left, the program is settling back to the mean.


Yep, definitely never won another national title after Saban left. You seem smart.
Posted by Swamp Angel
Somewhere on a river
Member since Jul 2004
9528 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:10 am to
quote:

since Saban left, the program is settling back to the mean.


Tell us again about how consistently great Alabama has been outside of the Bryant and Saban years please.
This post was edited on 10/30/25 at 9:12 am
Posted by Jrv2damac
KS (mountain time)
Member since Mar 2004
71757 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:19 am to
Current top ten:

1. Ohio St, won it all last year. First one since 2014. Verdict is out on consistency.

2. Indiana has never sniffed one. They’ve been to 14 bowl games in 126 seasons. Verdict out.

3. A&M hasn’t won it all since the 30s and no conference titles since the 90s.

4. Alabama isn’t winning it as frequently anymore. Last decade they averaged a title every 2 years and it’s already been 5 seasons since the Covid one. Hell, if they didn’t rally past 3-5 South Carolina last Saturday they’d be threatening to buy out their coach with lottery winnings again.

5. Georgia is the only “above average” title winner this decade and even they are showing signs of dropping off.

6. Oregon is consistently good and on the cusp, but not constantly winning or even threatening to win it all.

7. Mississippi to my knowledge hasn’t even won the conference in a very long time.

8. Georgia Tech, don’t remember them besides a few orange bowls past 15 years.

9. Vanderbilt also has been good at best while mostly bad for a very long time now.

10. BYU, self explanatory not a typical national title contender most of history.

To some extent every program in the top ten has either never been close, has had some title success recently but not consistently, or is already showing an overall drop off.

You can also see relatively recent title winner Michigan or Clemson showing little signs of threatening for the title again.


LSU does suck and is a mess, but everyone even having a great year this year has the same problems to varying extents.


Posted by TX Tiger
at home
Member since Jan 2004
37569 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:27 am to
quote:

The deal is that until Saban arrived, LSU was an also ran. Now, 20 years or however long since Saban left, the program is settling back to the mean.


Fun fact:
In 10 years before Saban arrived at Alabama, the Tide was ranked just 3 times (1999, 2002, 2005)
In 10 years before Saban arrived at LSU, the Tigers were ranked 2 times (1996-97)

Alabama sat with LSU among the list of "also rans" prior to Saban's arrival.
Posted by Harry Boutte
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2024
3329 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:34 am to
When I graduated in 1990, LSU was #11 nationally in all-time winning percentage, and had winning records vs all SEC teams but Alabama and Tennessee.

When Saban left LSU in 2004, LSU was #16 nationally in all-time winning percentage.

When Miles left LSU in 2016, LSU was #12 nationally in winning percentage.
Posted by Marktastic86
Pismo Beach, CA
Member since Dec 2020
20136 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:58 am to
quote:

Tell us again about how consistently great Alabama has been outside of the Bryant and Saban years please.

Alabama's won a national title in nearly every decade since the 1920's.
Posted by John Milner
Member since Jan 2015
7903 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:59 am to
quote:

Alabama sat with LSU among the list of "also rans" prior to Saban's arrival.


Wrong. Before Saban Alabama had won more games, more SEC games, more SEC titles, more national titles than any other team. I’m not sure and don’t have the time right now to search it but I think the 10 years between Stallings (national title) and Saban (national title) was the worst 10 year span for Alabama since at least the 1920s.

Oh, and according to Stassen since 1885 Alabama has won more games than any team except Michigan

Edit to add that I just noticed that only goes through 2023. I hope Stassen hasn’t quit. That’s been a great website.

Stassen
This post was edited on 10/30/25 at 10:01 am
Posted by Swamp Angel
Somewhere on a river
Member since Jul 2004
9528 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:03 am to
quote:

Alabama's won a national title in nearly every decade since the 1920's.


You haven't won even ONE since Saban left. LSU has won two in the post-Saban era.

(Don't push me to come up with yet another inaccurate and insane comparison 'cause I can come up with this stuff all day!)
Posted by VFL67
Member since Feb 2025
957 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:05 am to
quote:

Tell us again about how consistently great Alabama has been outside of the Bryant and Saban years please.


As a Tennessee fan I can even say this is one of the dumbest things I've read on this site. And between Saban and bryant thats like 40 years of football. You cant just say ignore 40 years of football
Posted by Kashmir
Member since Dec 2014
9472 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:24 am to
quote:

Tell us again about how consistently great Alabama has been outside of the Bryant and Saban years please.


Bear/Nick were at Bama for 42 years. Frank Thomas won 115 games over 15 years with two natties. Gene Stallings won 70 games in 7 seasons with one title. Wallace Wade won 61 games in eight seasons with three titles.
Posted by Harry Boutte
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2024
3329 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:28 am to
quote:

Alabama's won a national title in nearly every decade since the 1920's.



1961

LSU, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and even Texas A&M all had national championships before Alabama.

The Tide is a johnny come lately to the championship scene.
Posted by SidewalkTiger
Midwest, USA
Member since Dec 2019
65577 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:28 am to
For all the shite Alabama talks, their last natty is only a year removed from LSU's.
Posted by twk
Wichita Falls, Texas
Member since Jul 2011
2698 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:32 am to
I don't know why some people think appealing to history is a great argument. Florida is the case study that proves the past mean nothing. They were the very definition of mediocre, yet now, anyone who is being objective would say that they are right up there with the top jobs in the country.

Things change. The South was once a backwater. The Ivy League once ruled college football. None of that is terribly relevant to assessing teams in the present.
Posted by The Baker
This is fine.
Member since Dec 2011
18585 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:50 am to
quote:

LSU, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and even Texas A&M all had national championships before Alabama.


yup
Posted by The Baker
This is fine.
Member since Dec 2011
18585 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 10:51 am to
quote:


For all the shite Alabama talks, their last natty is only a year removed from LSU's.


Where they beat a 7 win ohio state team
Posted by coachcrisp
pensacola, fl
Member since Jun 2012
30864 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 11:34 am to
quote:

Tell us again about how consistently great Alabama has been outside of the Bryant and Saban years please.
Hell, we've had THREE other national championship head coaches BESIDE Saban and Bryant!
Posted by Wildcat98USA
Member since Nov 2023
424 posts
Posted on 10/30/25 at 11:45 am to
The real difference is you inbreds never spent a dollar to that University other than at Wal-Mart.
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