Started By
Message
Nick Saban and LSU revisionist history
Posted on 11/2/25 at 4:06 pm
Posted on 11/2/25 at 4:06 pm
I’ve noticed people often say that Nick Saban would have won ten national championships if he had stayed at LSU. And to be fair, he did rebuild LSU from the ground up they were a mess before he arrived. But I hate the revisionist history. Outside of that one championship season, his record at LSU was just pretty good. He still lost about three to four games a year on average. My point is, our program’s tradition and resources don’t get the credit they deserve. I’m not saying Saban couldn’t have won anywhere he’s the best to ever do it but the rate and consistency he achieved at Alabama came from the perfect marriage between coach and program. People forget how historically rich Alabama football was before probation. And before anyone jumps to say I’m claiming Alabama didn’t need Saban or that Alabama made Saban, that’s not it. I’m just saying their union was special something that fit perfectly and couldn’t be duplicated with just any blueblood program.
This post was edited on 11/2/25 at 4:07 pm
10
Posted on 11/2/25 at 5:19 pm to BamaMan95
2 loss natty.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 6:17 pm to BamaMan95
Bama is 57-27-5 against LSU all time. Obviously Bama is the better program
This post was edited on 11/2/25 at 6:20 pm
Posted on 11/2/25 at 7:10 pm to BamaMan95
Saban and Bama were the perfect combo at the right time. He was a better coach in his time at Bama than at LSU but that's to be expected as he was a bit older and we are all the sum of our life experiences. No doubt LSU wins multiple titles had Saban never left but it's a moot point. He was gonna try the NFL at some point.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 7:22 pm to BamaMan95
The 05-07 LSU teams were loaded, coaching just wasn't the best. That was Saban's guys, LSU fell off some in 08 and lost 5 games after Saban's guys left.
He would have definitely won 2-3 more NC at LSU, especially if Alabama didn't hire the right coach after Shula to try and slow LSU and Saban down.
He would have definitely won 2-3 more NC at LSU, especially if Alabama didn't hire the right coach after Shula to try and slow LSU and Saban down.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 8:02 pm to remaster916
Give Les Miles some credit for 2011. That LSU team was very, very good.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 8:34 pm to BamaMan95
quote:
People forget how historically rich Alabama football was before probation.
People are desperate to pretend like Alabama is a terrible program outside of Saban and Bryant. They like to act that the 3 Mikes era is the norm, when in reality, it was an anomaly that only lasted a decade and was largely caused by sanctions.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 8:44 pm to remaster916
quote:
The 05-07 LSU teams were loaded, coaching just wasn't the best.
‘05 LSU wasn’t beating Texas or USC even with Saban.
‘06 LSU only lost on the road to top 10 Auburn and @ eventual National Champion Florida. I don’t think Saban wins either of those games.
‘07 LSU won the national title with Miles.
In terms of national titles, I don’t think LSU’s results are any different those 3 years with Saban.
Saban was recruiting a top 10 to top 5 level by the end of his time at LSU, but he didn’t start pulling number 1 overall classes until he came to Alabama.
I also think there is revisionist history about Miles being a terrible coach. He had some terrible clock management moments, but I didn’t think his teams looked poorly coached until he failed to adapt to the spread, RPO and targeting rules changing the game in the mid 2010s.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 9:14 pm to BamaMan95
LSU fans were calling him a fraud and wanting him fired the year after he won the natty 
No wonder he ran to the NFL.
No wonder he ran to the NFL.This post was edited on 11/2/25 at 9:16 pm
Posted on 11/2/25 at 9:21 pm to BamaMan95
LSU fans think football started in 2000 and when Saban arrived at Alabama, it broke their brains and they’ve been melting ever since. Not only do they think we stole their coach, but we also stole their dynasty. 2011 sent them to another level.
So they’ve dealt with it a number of ways and biggest coping mechanism has been that our dynasty was just a facade. They’ve cried more than anyone about the SEC office & scheduling (they use to whine about how they were stuck with Florida while we got Tennessee), REC, refs, etc.
Now after years of trashing Saban, saying stuff like he had to leave Baton Rouge because of stuff like the Candy Edwards affair, they want him back because they believe it will somehow prove that he was their’s all along.
So they’ve dealt with it a number of ways and biggest coping mechanism has been that our dynasty was just a facade. They’ve cried more than anyone about the SEC office & scheduling (they use to whine about how they were stuck with Florida while we got Tennessee), REC, refs, etc.
Now after years of trashing Saban, saying stuff like he had to leave Baton Rouge because of stuff like the Candy Edwards affair, they want him back because they believe it will somehow prove that he was their’s all along.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 9:52 pm to TomRollTideRitter
Anytime someone tries use the 3 Mikes as the norm with me, I always tell them, EVERY single coach INCLUDING 2 of the Mike's, won at least 10 games in a season at least once in their tenure, with the exception of Whitworth before Bryant and Price that never made it to a Fall Saturday. Shuts them up really quick when I ask for their total number of 10 win seasons in their programs' history.
Posted on 11/2/25 at 11:22 pm to UAgrad93
He would have won more titles at LSU but I don't think he would have won 6 additional titles had he stayed there. I don't think any other program in the SEC would have given him the control he had at Alabama. How often do you think he went to the PTB at Alabama and said "Hey we need a new weight room" or "Hey we need to completely change how we do nutrition for our athletes" or "hey we need to upgrade practice facilities" and was told no? Hell they built the tennis program a brand new indoor facility so they could tear down the wall between their old facility and give football a true 100+ yard indoor facility! How many other SEC programs would have done the same thing?
Posted on 11/3/25 at 2:24 am to BamaDude06
Saban and Alabama was the perfect storm similar to when Bryant came. No college team has been hammered with lost of scholarships like Alabama was twice except USC and look where they went. NCAA had a vendetta against Alabama at the time. Killed the program for a total of ten years. Between the two lost scholarship years Alabama won the SEC beating Florida twice in the same year sending Spurrier to the NFL. We did have two great offensive players on that team in Samuels and Alexander. The only self inflicted bad run I have seen at Alabama was between 1954 and 1958 when Bryant arrived. Bryant did slip between 1967 and 1970 for one reason or another (he wrote a book touting his coaching ability) sandwiched between two great runs.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 9:30 am to BamaMan95
Saban took his second worst loss of his career(1st being 95 Nebraska) to Fran at home in 02. Bama would have hired someone that could have built something to challenge him eventually.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 9:52 am to UAgrad93
quote:
INCLUDING 2 of the Mike's, won at least 10 games in a season at least once in their tenure
I don't think folks give enough credit to that 2005 Shula team. Only lost to #5 LSU by 3 and at #11 Auburn by 10, with a team that was decimated by probation.
It was definitely Shula's high water mark, they overcame a lot that season.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 1:57 pm to UAgrad93
quote:
Anytime someone tries use the 3 Mikes as the norm with me, I always tell them, EVERY single coach INCLUDING 2 of the Mike's, won at least 10 games in a season at least once in their tenure
Alabama had three double digit win seasons in the Three Mikes Era between 1997 and 2006. Before Saban, LSU had four double digit win seasons ever, from 1894 to 1999. Three Mikes would have been a golden age in LSU history before Saban.
This post was edited on 11/3/25 at 2:03 pm
Posted on 11/3/25 at 2:48 pm to BamaMan95
LSU wins the Natty in 05 or 06 at LSU if he stays. Hell, Miles won a title in 07 with his players…..
He was just getting started at LSU when he left.
He was just getting started at LSU when he left.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 2:59 pm to FairhopeTider
quote:
Now after years of trashing Saban, saying stuff like he had to leave Baton Rouge because of stuff like the Candy Edwards affair, they want him back because they believe it will somehow prove that he was their’s all along.
They truly are pathetic. They don't really think there's any chance, but it's the stuff of their wet dreams. It wouldn't matter if Saban was 95 and deaf and blind...they would think they'd really done something.
Saban isn't foolish enough to risk his legacy and he definitely doesn't need the money. When they do make their hire, they'll all say they knew it would never happen...but you better believe those coonasses have boners just fantasizing. It's borderline sad.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 3:05 pm to RolltidePA
quote:
I don't think folks give enough credit to that 2005 Shula team. Only lost to #5 LSU by 3 and at #11 Auburn by 10, with a team that was decimated by probation.
It was definitely Shula's high water mark, they overcame a lot that season.
We probably whip both of them with Prothro and Closner. Losing them killed that offense.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 6:16 pm to BamaMan95
What people forget is that, at some point Saban was going back to the NFL. It may have been after the 2007, 2008, or 2009 season if he stayed at LSU, but Saban always wanted back in the NFL at that time.
Page 1 of 2
Latest Alabama News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News