A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

BamaMoon

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It's still technically the off season and CNS kinda brought it up at SEC media days. He said if he could go back and change anything about his career he said he would have stayed in one place. He could have been talking about Mich. St, but I assume he probably was thinking about LSU.

It is what it is and we are glad he's ours and that he seems destined to stay until he goes to the lake in north Ga.

So two questions to ponder in the "what if" realm:

What would have happened if CNS would had stayed at LSU? How many NC would he have now? How would his staying have effected the SEC in general.

And, specifically, where would we be if he was still at LSU all these years?
 

CrimsonForce

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

He would have won at least 3 more NCs at LSU and I would be surprised if we would have won one during that period. Guess it depends on who we would have hired. I think Spurrier might could have won 1 NC here during that time but I'm not sure. Our program wouldn't be anywhere close to where it is now though. And LSU would likely be the top program in the country. I envy the defenses CNS built at LSU. Very fast, athletic, and aggressive. He has taken a different approach at Bama for some reason. Probably another discussion for another thread.
 
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CullmanTide

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

This has been gone over here many times. That said, Nick wouldn't have had the success he's had at Alabama nor would we IMHO.
 

BamaMoon

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

This has been gone over here many times. That said, Nick wouldn't have had the success he's had at Alabama nor would we IMHO.
Agree about us not having the success...really no matter who we might have hired after the Mikes.

However, I would disagree about CNS's success at LSU. Think they'd be Bama West right now.
 

CrimsonForce

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

This has been gone over here many times. That said, Nick wouldn't have had the success he's had at Alabama nor would we IMHO.
I think he would have had similar success had he stayed at LSU. Look at all that talent he left Les Miles. Even LM squeezed out a NC.
 

BamaMoon

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

This has been gone over here many times. That said, Nick wouldn't have had the success he's had at Alabama nor would we IMHO.
CNS brought it up at SEC media days so it's rather relevant. But just curious why you think he wouldn't have been as successful at LSU?

Agreed!


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Care to elaborate?

Not trying to be argumentative, but just to know why you guys think this.
 
Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

CNS brought it up at SEC media days so it's rather relevant. But just curious why you think he wouldn't have been as successful at LSU?



Care to elaborate?

Not trying to be argumentative, but just to know why you guys think this.
Gladly!

Well, I look at Saban's teams at LSU. None went undefeated, and he won half of a championship there. I'm not trying to short change it, but to me it was half. (AP went to USC) After that, not nearly as successful. He did leave behind a legacy that has withstood time for the most part. As for being at Alabama, look at the same amount of time and the success Bama has had.

Not saying that whoville was awful, quite the contrary. His best team in LSU might be 4th or 5th best in Alabama terms.

Bama 2009
Bama 2011
Bama 2012
Bama 2010 (underachieved)
LSU maybe
Bama 2008 maybe

Just my opinion.


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selmaborntidefan

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

It's difficult to know because of extraneous factors that cannot be measured. Would Saban have been as motivated as he was to show his failure in the NFL was not "the real Saban" and just an anomaly or is his self-motivation that extreme? Would he have stayed conservative and kept a basic offense because it had been successful rather than opening it up? He had an advantage because he came here after we'd had three losing seasons in four years so people could be tolerant of his changes. Folks are less tolerant of getting away from what has been proven to work and losing games once you're a champion. Besides, isn't the 8-5 Saban of 2002 (which included an absolutely lucky win against Kentucky) the same guy who won the SEC in 2001 and the whole deal in 2003? His track record denoted (at that time) a level of inconsistency that made our hire more risky to outsiders than it seemed to us. Saban was so much better than any hire we had had post-Bryant that the entire fan base rallied like I've never seen - it was like finding actual water in the Sahara rather than an optical illusion.

He would have had another problem at LSU that he doesn't have here - they're just as big on their other sports teams (particularly baseball) and us - for the most part - well, not so much.

But there's a flip side to it all - there's no doubt in my mind we would be talking about 2011 LSU as the greatest team ever. I find it highly unlikely we would have more than one national title at most (and even that would depend totally upon who we hired), but I question whether LSU would have the rep we have now.

He could not have done this at Michigan State. College football is not the NFL. He might have won a championship but it would have been about impossible to win multiple ones.

Then again, I'm sure he would have left LSU for Texas because everybody wants to live in Austin and Texas can buy whatever they want.


But now let's think about the dominoes:

1) Where would Les Miles be? Would anyone have heard of him? My suspicion is that he would be at Michigan, that he would be successful but less so than at LSU.

2) Where would Rich Rodriguez be?

We might not really want to know the answer to this one. I can tell you where he wouldn't be - he would never have been the head coach at Michigan, and we'd probably be off the map via the death penalty.

3) Mike Gundy? I think he's at OSU when Miles goes to Michigan

4) And right now dabaxter (aka Paul Johnson) sits in the lap of luxury off the Caymans living off the huge buyout we gave him after he went 3-9 in 2010 while Auburn was winning the national championship.
 

CullmanTide

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

CNS brought it up at SEC media days so it's rather relevant. But just curious why you think he wouldn't have been as successful at LSU?



Care to elaborate?

Not trying to be argumentative, but just to know why you guys think this.
Alabama's name and tradition do mean something and Coach Saban has taken full advantage of that. LSU is not and will never be an Alabama.
 

BamaMoon

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

Pretty awesome post there Selma. You're correct that it is guesswork, which is what makes these kinds of threads neat.

I think CNS would have eventually morphed into the kind of coach he became at Bama as he matured, but his success at LSU, had he stayed, is uncertain. But I think he would have at least won a couple more NC there.

But the fact you bring up Dabaxter and Paul Johnson here is pure genious!:biggrin:
 

BamaMoon

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

Alabama's name and tradition do mean something and Coach Saban has taken full advantage of that. LSU is not and will never be an Alabama.
Fair point about our tradition and national brand.

Why so many have said CNS and Bama were made for each other.
 

B1GTide

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

Saban is either the greatest coach of this era, and the greatest recruiter of this era, o he is not. He is both.

LSU would be an absolute monster right now had he stayed. No idea what would have happened at Alabama - no way to guess without throwing potential coaches names out there. But Alabama is still Alabama, so you there is no way that I would assume that you would have zero championships in the last 10 years.
 

BamaMoon

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

Saban is either the greatest coach of this era, and the greatest recruiter of this era, o he is not. He is both.

LSU would be an absolute monster right now had he stayed. No idea what would have happened at Alabama - no way to guess without throwing potential coaches names out there. But Alabama is still Alabama, so you there is no way that I would assume that you would have zero championships in the last 10 years.
Don't know if you remember but we were in shambles by 2006.

I think Mal Moore would have found us a decent coach eventually after the NCAA punishment and Shula experiment ended.

The problem is, you've got to win your division, then the SECCG to get the the NC game if you are in the SEC. I know we did it once, in 2011, without winning the SECW, but if LSU would have become the dominant force we think they'd been, if CNS stayed, I don't know if we could have ever regularly gotten past them in our division.
 

bamaga

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

To me, Nick was a better coach/recruiter after returning to the college game. I think he would have It rolling at LSU right now. Don't think he would have won it all as often, but I think he would of won 4by now with the continuity. We would still be saying he is the greatest of his era.
I shudder to think where we would be. I don't know if we would have won one by now. I think with Mal's efforts and the big boosters getting tired of losing would put us in good shape. One thing to keep in mind about Bama's resurgence under Saban. The big boosters have done what so many boosters of big school refuse to do. They trusted the AD hired the right guy and agreed to stay out of the way. That doesn't happen often today!!

Imagine what the landscape of college football would be like if Saban stayed at MSU. The big ten would probably have won a couple more BCS championships and the perception of both conferences would be totally different.
 
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alwayshavebeen

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

To me there is no question LSU would be king of college football had Saban stayed. As for How Would Bama Be Now?...I think you have to start by determining (guessing) who would have replaced Shula. Like everyone else I followed this as close as I could and remember everything from Rich Rod, Spurrier, to Gene Stallings offering to come back to fill the void for a while...Which he said publicly. I do agree that Coach Moore would have found us a good one...but who??
 

dWarriors88

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Gladly!

Well, I look at Saban's teams at LSU. None went undefeated, and he won half of a championship there. I'm not trying to short change it, but to me it was half. (AP went to USC) After that, not nearly as successful. He did leave behind a legacy that has withstood time for the most part. As for being at Alabama, look at the same amount of time and the success Bama has had.



Bama 2009
Bama 2011
Bama 2012
Bama 2010 (underachieved)
LSU maybe
Bama 2008 maybe
Last years '13 team was more talented than most any other team fielded by Saban. If you lined up our team from last year against the 2002/3 LSU squad we would have blown them out of the water. I can't really See how you can put that 10- 2 LSU 1/2 national title team above 2013 crimson tide who went 11-2..
 

RollinTider1335

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

If spurrier came to Bama it would've been even with us and whoville IMO. Spurrier and Bama would've been a great match also.

That being said, I am glad we got Saban and grateful for what he has accomplished.

Anyone know the age difference between Saban and spurrier?? That being said, I never thought spurrier would have coached at USC for 10 yrs at his current age.
 

BamaMoon

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

If spurrier came to Bama it would've been even with us and whoville IMO. Spurrier and Bama would've been a great match also.

That being said, I am glad we got Saban and grateful for what he has accomplished.

Anyone know the age difference between Saban and spurrier?? That being said, I never thought spurrier would have coached at USC for 10 yrs at his current age.
SS is 69 according to my friend Google: https://www.google.com/#q=how+old+is+steve+spurrier

If we would have eventually got him, he would have done what he had done at USCe, but at a faster clip. Ironically, he would have probably built teams at Bama, much like he has now at USCe, to compete with LSU (assuming this alternate universe of CNS at LSU all these years).
 

RollinTider1335

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Re: A "What If" Thread: What if CNS had stayed at LSU? Where would Bama be now?

SS is 69 according to my friend Google: https://www.google.com/#q=how+old+is+steve+spurrier

If we would have eventually got him, he would have done what he had done at USCe, but at a faster clip. Ironically, he would have probably built teams at Bama, much like he has now at USCe, to compete with LSU (assuming this alternate universe of CNS at LSU all these years).
I think spurrier would've far exceeded at bama than USC. MUCH better recruiting at Bama than usce. But he would've had to face Saban every year
 

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