Nick Saban named LSU his sleeper pick to win the national championship Saturday morning on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” The seven-time national champion and former LSU head coach made the call a week before the No. 15 Tigers host his former team, No. 10 Alabama. 

Saban cited LSU’s scoring, its defense and six victories by 20 or more points.

“This could be the team to go all the way,” Saban said. 

But he isn't letting his former home and former offensive coordinator off the hook, either. Lane Kiffin's pick for quarterback from the transfer portal, Sam Leavitt, has had a turnover problem. Saban said that could be what keeps the Tigers from a title run. 

LSU currently sits at 6-2 and No. 15 in the country in Kiffin’s first season.

Saban Chose to Back the Numbers

Saban cited his choice with pure numbers. LSU scores more than 40 points a game and allows only 16, with the Tigers having scored 321 points and allowed 128 through eight games.

All six of LSU’s wins have come by 21 points or more. They include a 51-10 victory over Clemson in the opener, a 35-6 rout of Texas A&M and a 31-0 shutout of Mississippi State.

The Tigers most recently beat Auburn 38-17.

In that game, Leavitt had a career game, completing 32 of 45 passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns in that game.

LSU isn't just scoring at an unreal pace; it's piecing together long and complete drives and allowing the defense to do what it does best. The Tigers have been consistently playing well as it leads the SEC in total offense and total defense.

Leavitt Has a Lot to Prove

Leavitt, the Arizona State transfer, threw eight interceptions in LSU’s first six games. Three of them came in a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech. 

He also threw an interception in each of LSU's first six games, the only quarterback in the FBS to have been turned over in every game.

But Leavitt has not thrown an interception since the Kentucky game.

LSU has outscored its opponents 69-17 over that span without a turnover. 

Kiffin has stressed turnover margin during the bye week because LSU’s remains negative, while Alabama leads the SEC with 12 interceptions and has forced at least one in every game. 

A Rivalry Game On the Way With Massive Implications

Alabama is 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC after back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide rebounded with a 31-20 win over a stumbling Texas A&M. 

Despite the recent stumbles for Alabama itself, Kiffin acknowledged the challenge of this matchup specifically, saying, “These guys really are loaded.” 

But this game is about more than the outcome of this game.

For LSU, Kiffin's hiring brought hope of a new era. Especially for games like this one.

Alabama has won the past three meetings, and LSU’s last victory in the series was a 32-31 overtime win in 2022.

The game will be the last annual meeting between the schools, the first in over 60 years. The new SEC nine-game schedule format changed the schedule so that the two teams will not play next season.

LSU looks to come out on top.