Nick Saban knows exactly what Clemson is walking into Saturday night in Baton Rouge, and he knows the temptation that comes with it too.
With Clemson set for its first-ever trip to Tiger Stadium, Saban used his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday to make a simple point: a loud crowd can help set the scene, but it cannot make the plays. The former Alabama coach went 12-5 against LSU during his time in Tuscaloosa, and he also spent time leading LSU before a brief run with the Miami Dolphins, so he has seen that environment from just about every angle.
Saban said his own LSU teams had to learn early that the energy in the building was not enough by itself.
“There was so much passion and so much energy and enthusiasm for games, I sometimes thought that the players just took it for granted that when they played at home. things would go the way they wanted them to go.” Saban said.
He pointed to an early-season loss in his first year as a reminder of how quickly that thinking can backfire. After LSU fell 13-10 to UAB, Saban put a message in the locker room to keep the focus where it belonged.
“I actually put a sign up in the locker room that said, ‘It’s not the atmosphere in Tiger Stadium. It’s the Tigers in the stadium that make a difference,'” he said.
“So I wanted the players to know that they still had to impact the game and play high-quality football if they were going to have a chance to be successful, and that the crowd was not going to make any plays in the game, and that we needed to be responsible for making those plays.”
Saban said he will be watching to see whether LSU avoids that trap this time around, especially with all the attention surrounding the matchup and Lane Kiffin’s first game in the new era.
“I know when there’s this kind of hype for a game, like there is for this Clemson game, Lane’s first game, new era, all that kind of stuff, I hope that does not impact LSU’s team,” Saban said.
In Other News...
LSU Just Got Pulled Into A Roster Fight With Real Stakes
The SEC has now turned a roster dispute into a legal one, filing suit against LSU, its Board of Supervisors, president Wade Rousse, athletic director Verge Ausberry and head coach Lane Kiffin over the programs pursuit of former professional athletes. At the center of it is a simple but consequential question for the Tigers: whether the conference believes LSU crossed the line by recruiting players who had already signed NFL contracts.
The league is seeking an injunction to keep LSU from associating with conduct it says runs counter to the SECs purpose, adding another layer to a situation already unfolding in Baton Rouge. A separate court hearing is still underway there to determine whether the players in question are eligible under NCAA and SEC rules, leaving the Tigers caught between immediate roster needs and a fight that now has real legal stakes. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Lands In A High Stakes Eligibility Fight Before The Opener
With LSUs opener approaching, the school has landed in the middle of a legal fight that could shape how Lane Kiffin and his staff navigate the roster in the final stretch before kickoff. The SEC filed a federal lawsuit against LSU, Kiffin and other administrators over the eligibility status of several potential Tigers who spent time on NFL training camp rosters, turning a personnel issue into a conference-level dispute.
The league is seeking injunctions to keep LSU from violating conference rules by recruiting and rostering professional athletes, arguing the schools actions damage the SEC. At the same time, a separate state court hearing is moving forward on the eligibility of specific players, including DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, leaving LSU with one more off-field issue to manage as the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Added A Homegrown Twist To Its Clemson Spotlight
A Baton Rouge game day already had plenty of built-in theater, and LSU is adding a distinctly Louisiana touch before the Tigers meet Clemson. Lainey Wilson, the country star from the state, will serve as the celebrity guest picker and perform live on College GameDay, turning the morning into part pep rally, part concert as ESPN sets up at 8 a.m. CT.
Rece Davis will host the show with analysts including Nick Saban, while LSU coach Lane Kiffin is also slated to make a live appearance. It gives the Clemson spotlight an extra layer of local flavor before the main event kicks off that night at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with the atmosphere around campus likely to be as much a story as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]