Nick Saban backs LSU despite loss, shares message from Tom Osborne following 50-10 thrashing

LSU is 0-1 for the third-straight time under Brian Kelly following a 27-20 loss to USC during Week 1. The frustrating outcome even saw Kelly bang his hand in frustration against the table in his postgame press conference.

According to Nick Saban, however, there’s no need to panic. While the loss still stings for the Tigers heading into Week 2, Saban gave LSU a word of advice that he received from former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne nearly three decades ago.

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“The one team that I was impressed with was LSU,” Saban said on ESPN College GameDay ahead of Week 2’s slate. “And it reminded me of a story when I first started coaching at Michigan State. We played Nebraska, and we got the dog beat out of us. I thought we’d never, ever win another game. And I go out after the game and shake hands with [then-Huskers head coach] Tom Osborne. He puts his arm around me and he says, ‘You’re not as bad as you think.’

“So that’s the message that I would give to LSU. You’re not as bad as you think.”

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The Spartans would lose to the Huskers 50-10 during the 1995 matchup as Saban, who served as Michigan State’s defensive backs coach at the time, was given the advice. While Saban’s secondary allowed just one touchdown during the contest, the Huskers rushed for over 550 yards as they scored 10 or more points each quarter.

While the scoreboard didn’t get as out of hand for the Tigers as it did for the Spartans nearly 30 years ago, Saban’s message serves as a strong reminder that LSU still has a lot to play for throughout the rest of the season.

Not only does the matchup not affect any conference standings, but the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff system allows a bit of breathing room for teams who lost early in the year to still make the field come December.

All the Tigers can do is play who’s in front of them. As of Week 2, LSU will play three ranked teams in Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma during the regular season, which are mathups that can make or break their CFP hopes. For now, LSU is set to take on Nicholls on Saturday night before beginning SEC play against South Carolina in Week 3.