Does LSU Owe Its Success to Nick Saban?

LSU coach Les Miles seems to have a bone to pick with former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy.

McElroy said recently that the Bayou Bengals' recent success was started by Nick Saban.

If you look at LSU, they’ve had sustained success since Saban left because he established that mindset.

The Crimson Tide alum did toss a bone to the Mad Hatter in a backhanded sort of way:

Les Miles obviously did take over that program and has done a terrific job in his own right, but once you establish that mindset and have the leadership that holds young players accountable, that success shouldn’t soon dwindle.

Well, give ol' Les credit for -- as WC Fields once said -- grabbing the bull by the tail and coming face-to-face with the situation.

That's him holding court on ESPN, looking directly at McElroy:

I can understand football's version of Mr Hat -- there's one other, you know --  being a bit torqued that he doesn't get the credit he deserves, but frankly, LSU football hadn't done much between the time of Paul Dietzel's Chinese Bandits and the arrival of Nick Saban.

There were plenty of 8-4 years and  Peach Bowl apperances for the Tigers. Hell they played in that game so much they should have renamed it the LSU Peach Bowl. But that was until Saban and Miles arrived. 

Saban's record at LSU was 48-16, which is a .750 winning clip, with a national championship.

Miles' overall record is 95-24, which registers as a .798, with a national championship. 

Miles has the better winning percentage at LSU, but in the overall scheme of things, Saban has more national championships; he even won one against Miles and the Tigers.

Having said that, the Alabama highlight reel wasn't much longer, as Saban's Tide out-kicked the Tigers in a game that left most of the nation pining for a more inclusive playoff.

Still, the Hat isn't a bad coach, and he's definitely entertaining.

He just happens to be in a conference where his predecessor at LSU overshadows him at a rival school. But as McElroy discovered, Miles isn't about to accept that perspective.

And another log gets tossed on the rivalry fire.