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If you would’ve told me in 2016

Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:39 am
Posted by crotiger0307
Utah
Member since Jan 2018
886 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:39 am
Whilst in Tiger Stadium listening to the student section and others in the crowd chant “frick you Saban” that one day HE would be the main one defending LSU on the national stage I would’ve said you are outside of your mind.

Absolutely nuts how times can change.
Posted by DBG
vermont
Member since May 2004
78555 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:40 am to
Thank you, Nick
Posted by Yaboylsu63
Member since Mar 2014
3196 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:40 am to
I think secretly our hatred for Saban made him like us more.

He knew he had a great fan base behind him and he knew he left that for Bama.

He told Kiffin 1000% we are passionate as hell and it’s a difference maker in home games.
Posted by Legion of Doom
Old Metry
Member since Jan 2018
5592 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:43 am to
I disliked Saban because he landed at our rival and was so damn good. But he has always been reasonable and I don’t find him biased on air like bitch boy Reece-that dude can choke on a dick.
Posted by Broski
Member since Jun 2011
78946 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:45 am to
quote:

crowd chant “frick you Saban”


I do find it funny that LSU fans are telling Ole Miss to stop crying over us directly stealing their coach when many of those same fans had a decade-plus melt over Alabama not even directly stealing Saban from us.

As an LSU fan that was just so thankful for Saban when we won the SECCG in 2001, I never could bring myself to hate him.

It was totally understandable why he wanted to go to the NFL and it was totally understandable why, after things in Miami weren't working, he took an open SEC job.

It sucked for us how it panned out, but I never blamed Saban for it.
Posted by crotiger0307
Utah
Member since Jan 2018
886 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:48 am to
It took some maturing (I was 10 when he took the Bama job) but my “hatred” became respect immediately after he hung it up.

All he did was his job, which he was better at doing than anybody else, ever. Sucked that it was at a school that we played every year but that’s just how the chips fell.

No shame in losing to the best, even though it hurt like absolute hell while going through it..
Posted by VanRIch
Wherever
Member since Sep 2007
11509 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:48 am to
I’ve always felt like I should’ve hated Saban but I just never fully did. He’s the best to ever do it and I’ve always had tremendous respect for him. And now he’s showing that he’s the consummate professional. He understands emotions from fans and it doesn’t sway him in being level headed and realistic and almost always correct.
Posted by crotiger0307
Utah
Member since Jan 2018
886 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 9:55 am to
At times it leads me to wonder, if Herbstreit’s “source” would've been right about Miles to Michigan in ‘07, does Nick jump ship after a 7-6 year at Alabama and head back to BR?

I want to believe he would, just add it to the long list of what if’s (Brees failing his physical, Okie St being upset by ISU in 2011, Tyrann getting booted in 2012, etc) that would’ve potentially changed the dynamic of that “rivalry”.
Posted by TDTiger225
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2019
1516 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:11 am to
quote:

and others in the crowd chant “frick you Saban”
I've always liked and respected Saban. I was disappointed that he left for the NFL when everyone at LSU begged him to stay. I've also always sensed his regret for leaving. He would have come back to LSU over Bama if he could but unfortunately, Miles had just won a NC.

It was hard watching Bama win so much hardware over those years, but now it's our turn and Saban did us a favor by encouraging Lane to join the good guys. Saban set the tone and has now helped usher in the golden age of LSU football.
Posted by Broski
Member since Jun 2011
78946 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:47 am to
quote:

He would have come back to LSU over Bama if he could but unfortunately, Miles had just won a NC.


que?
Posted by Demonbengal
Ruston
Member since May 2015
4822 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:49 am to
I’ve never really hated Saban. I hated the situation. He always remained professional, and spoke highly of LSU and Louisiana.
Posted by Breesus
House of the Rising Sun
Member since Jan 2010
69480 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:49 am to
Everyone at LSU was waiting for Saban to leave Alabama so we could go back to liking him and thanking him for everything he did.
Posted by ruzil
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2012
18145 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:51 am to
quote:

He would have come back to LSU over Bama if he could


Well, if LSU would have gone into suspended animation for that year, the Tiger fans, as pissed as they were when he left, would have taken him back in a heart beat.
Posted by GeauxDoc
Highland Road
Member since Sep 2010
2752 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 10:56 am to
quote:

Broski


Well put, couldn’t agree more.
Posted by goldenmoment
Member since Aug 2011
155 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 11:23 am to
quote:

He would have come back to LSU over Bama if he could but unfortunately, Miles had just won a NC.


Actually, Miles won the national championship in 2007 during Saban's first year at Alabama. Saban was with the Dolphins during 2005 and 2006, and then he decided that he wanted to come back to college football.

The story goes that he contacted Skip to see if he could come back to LSU, but the job wasn't open, and Skip, who was still pissed off at Saban leaving Christmas of 2004, stayed loyal to Miles, who went on to win the natty that year, a year when they nipped Bama and Saban in Tuscaloosa. OT I believe.

Ironically, the story goes that right after that Bama's AD offered Saban the job on the sly (sure Sexton was in it), and when Saban said yes, the AD canned Shula so that Nick could become the Bama head coach. Don Shula always had hard feelings for Saban after that.

Saban always said that the biggest mistake of his career was leaving LSU for the Dolphins. But then he would've never realized he was cut out more for coaching in college unless he'd left and tried it. At his opening Bama press conference, Saban proudly stated that he'd signed star LSU players like Jamarcus, Bowe and Early who'd just destroyed Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, and Miss Terry spoke up and told him to say they hoped their LSU friends would still be their friends after taking the Bama job as they really loved their time in Baton Rouge.
Posted by lsufan1971
Zachary
Member since Nov 2003
23676 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 11:49 am to
quote:

As an LSU fan that was just so thankful for Saban when we won the SECCG in 2001, I never could bring myself to hate him.


Feel the same. He has a special reverence for LSU. He took the Bama job because he wanted back to CFB. He has said many times that his biggest mistake professionally was leaving LSU. He showed LSU what could be done and built the foundation for what we have today.
Posted by doublecutter
Member since Oct 2003
7003 posts
Posted on 12/6/25 at 12:12 pm to
quote:

If you would’ve told me in 2016


That LSU would have two QBs win the Heisman in the next seven years, I would ask you what you were smoking.
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