Alabama.
Just the name elicits an eye-roll when thinking about them in the college football world. Nick Saban has shown year after year that the program he has created is what others should compare themselves to.
After joining the Crimson Tide in 2007, Saban has led the team to the championship game eight times, winning three BCS championships and three College Football Playoff championships in five appearances.
With Alabama currently leading the SEC West, and ranked second in the CFP rankings, LSU is looking like another easy win for the Tide on their way to a SEC Championship matchup against No. 1 ranked Georgia.
Being favored by 28.5 points and in primetime will further showcase how distant these two universities have felt when it comes to football.
LSU especially has fallen in the shadow of Alabama during this tenure, going 4-11 against the Tide.
Saturday will mark the sixth game, and last matchup, between Nick Saban and Ed Orgeron. Although the head-to-head record is depressing from an LSU perspective, looking beyond this, it is interesting to see how close the teams are considering talent, and how far away the two have felt.
Since Orgeron took over for Les Miles in 2016, LSU has only beat Alabama once in five games. Outside of the one victory in 2019, Alabama has outscored LSU 118-27, and in two of those games the Tigers were held scoreless.
Talent has not been the issue for the Tigers. During the past five NFL drafts, the top three colleges with players drafted are Alabama with 51, Ohio State with 43 and LSU with 39 players. Both colleges have produced one Heisman winner, Joe Burrow in 2019 and DeVonta Smith in 2020, but Alabama has had two other top-three finishes as well (2nd-place Tua Tagovailoa 2018, 3rd-place Mac Jones 2020).
Orgeron’s coaching record is ultimately what has made the university decide to move on in 2022. Having a 49-18 head coaching record would allow for most coaches to have job security; however, since winning the national championship, Orgeron is 9-9. With questionable coaching hires, and not interviewing some candidates for those vacancies, the record shows how Orgeron has faltered in trying to create longevity and sustainable winning for the program.
Nick Saban’s 72-6 record stands alone in the FBS over the same time span, and even though there is constant roster turnover, the standard of winning has been established.
Orgeron may have been what the university needed at the time, someone who represented the state of Louisiana and a top-tier recruiter. Despite this, it is clear he can not be the standard of coaching going forward. With off the field issues surrounding the team, and the consistent average coaching record as of late, this team needs to be held to a higher standard.
Every head coach LSU has had since 2000 has won one championship for the university. Whoever the next head coach is for this team needs to look beyond and find a consistent way to beat Saban.
4-11 cannot be the standard for this university, and being 26-54-5 against Alabama all-time needs to be corrected.  If they can find a way to consistently beat Saban and Alabama, then the championships will follow.