I shudder to think what LSU might be like were he there. There's no doubt in my mind he'd have at least four titles. He might not have the six, but I'm pretty sure he'd have the four. No picking on techster but since this post DOES represent some of the valid points made by the "no" side, I figured I'd look at it a tad bit closer.
This was discussed in another thread but I don't remember where. Saban never had the same type of success at LSU as he's had here.
I get what you're saying but I think if we look at it telescopically rather than linear, we may view it differently.
He didn't have consecutive 10 win seasons at LSU where he has been on a streak of 10 or more wins since 2008 at Alabama.
True, but he also played fewer games. Look at his first five years. He was 48-16 at LSU (64 games) and 55-12 at Alabama (67 games). Granted, the only time that was close with us was 2010, when he won the 10th game in the last one, but does anyone really think Iowa was better than LSU in his final game when the whole world knew he was leaving? They played pretty lackadaisical that day.
Also - he's older and more mature and - important point- LEARNED what doesn't work and what does. We're reaping the benefits of mistakes he made at LSU. THEY would be reaping those same benefits had he never left.
He'd probably have won it all in 2007, 2011 and possibly one more year at LSU. I'm not sure we would have won a national title without him but I can't remember who the other coaches would have been in the discussion after the 2006 season. The only coaches to win National titles since Saban got here(other than Saban) are: Miles, Meyer, Chizik, Fisher and Dabo. It's a pretty exclusive club.
It's obviously a debatable point that we'll never know.
The SEC was stronger 2006-2012 than it was in 2000-2004.
He recruited the beginnings of the team that won the 2007 title so there's a certainty right there.
He took over an Alabama team on probation but that DID have a pretty solid core when he got here.
LSU had a solid core as well, they just under achieved under DiWeirdo
I think he'd have 4-5 total there. 2003, 2007, 2011 and perhaps as many as two more.
thankfully, we don't ever have to find out.