Nick Saban shares the challenges of playing at LSU’s Tiger Stadium

Nick Saban has had many memories of Tiger Stadium over the years, both as the head coach of LSU and as a guest with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The iconic venue has become one of the toughest venues in all of college football. Saban joined The Pat McAfee Show to go into detail about the challenges of being the away team in Death Valley.

“Well, you know, let me tell you a story: When I first got to LSU, they weren’t very good. I think the year before it was 3-8. And back then, you know, they picked the time you played based on how good you were,” Saban said. “Because it took 2:30 to get to the CBS game [CT]You had to be good because they always chose the best game. So we had to be somewhat decent, we started playing a lot of 2:30 games and the fans were livid because we weren’t playing at night.

“They wanted to use the whole day to prepare for a night game. And you know, I tried to give them a coaching point and say, “Why can’t you half tune in, go to the game, then do half an after-party and keep tuning in?” But they didn’t bought. So my point is they’re ready to go and it’s hard to play LSU at night.”

The noise level at Tiger Stadium makes it a challenging venue to play as passionate fans fill the venue.

Saban reflected on the difficult times he had in Death Valley. especially when Tua Tagovailoa and Co. were unable to get going.

“I mean, I remember when Tua [Tagovailoa] played for us and we had a really good team and we got the ball at the start of the game and went straight down the field. And when we got to about the 20-yard line of the student section, we had about four false starts in a row,” Saban said. “I mean, we couldn’t keep being silent; we couldn’t keep clapping. We couldn’t get the ball.”

As the College Football Playoff expands, there will be home playoff games in the future as iconic venues prepare to host important matchups.

Saban dove into SEC stadiums and how the passionate fans will make it a crucial addition to the future of football.

“We’ve never had playoff games played at a home venue in college, and that will be a big advantage, especially in the SEC because there are so many difficult venues,” Saban said. “I mean, it’s hard to play at A&M. It’s hard to play. It’s hard to play in the swamp. It’s hard to play in a lot of places, but that’s why the league is what it is.

“People in the Southeast have a great passion for football and college athletics, perhaps more so than anywhere else because there were no professional sports in the South when they were growing up. So they all relate to college athletics, which I think is fantastic. … The spirit and passion in the Southeast is phenomenal.”

Now the No. 9-ranked Ole Miss Rebels prepare for a challenging atmosphere Saturday night at Tiger Stadium when the Bayou Bengals host Lane Kiffin and Co. at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.

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