re: Could Saban take Miles' team and beat Bama?

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Game 1 was in 2007: LSU's NC team versus Saban in year one after kicking several players off the team.

Since then, Miles, who DIDN'T kick certain players off the team in 2007, has suffered the consequences. ZERO BCS victories.

Saban: THREE national titles and a 4-2 record against Miles.

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Yeah, I don't think we should include 2007 either. The gap in quality between the teams was too great, and LSU won.

but the same holds true in 2008 and 2009. No one argues those teams were remotely even. Alabama went 15-1 in SEC play those two seasons while LSU went 8-8. Bama won both games narrowly, one in OT. There's little evidence there Saban could have won with Miles' talent.

In the past three seasons, as LSU has returned to the nation's elite, the two teams have gone 2-2 against one another. Saban clearly dominated the rematch in 2011, but I think he was outcoached this year. It's just that Miles' gambles didn't pay off. But they were necessary gambles given LSU's personnel losses. Do you think that if LSU had Blue, Faulk, and Matheiu for that game while Bama was short Milliner, Barrett Jones, and Lacy that Bama wins the game? Bama needed a miracle drive, and that's with LSU short its three best players. Give those players back to LSU, and take away three of Bama's best from Saban, I doubt Bama wins. And that would be the best simulation for whether Saban could "win with LSU's talent".

Over the past three years, Alabama has played a consistently easier schedule than LSU, yet Bama has lost five games over that span compared to LSU's six losses. An extremely narrow gap. The team's also each have one SEC title.

The gap, of course, is in MNC's, and flags fly forever. This is historic run by Bama. But the actual gap in quality between the two programs in regards to actual on-field results is quite small. And I see no evidence that makes me think Saban could have won with LSU's teams in the same circumstances other than wishful thinking.