The 10 Greatest College Football Teams Coached by Nick Saban

The 2003 LSU team was undoubtedly the best unit Saban put together during his five years in Baton Rouge. Only a loss to Florida in October marred an otherwise perfect record as the Tigers beat out USC for the right to square off against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. After being hired away from Michigan State four years earlier, Saban’s first title ended a 45-year LSU drought — though they had to split it with the Trojans after the AP voted Rose Bowl winner USC to the top of its final poll.

The team needed luck to get into the BCS championship game. In addition to losing at home against the Gators, LSU cut things close in low-scoring wins against Georgia and Ole Miss. The title game against the Sooners ended 21-14, the Bayou Bengals’ third win within one score. Saban and offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher got the most out of Matt Mauck at quarterback and a deep group of skill players, scoring 33.9 points per game while the defense conceded just 11 on average. But they also faced just the 41st-toughest schedule en route to the title.