If you’re only a Nick Saban fan for what he has done to take Alabama to an unthinkable height of glory in his decade-long coaching career, you need to update your fan psyche. Saban, 73, is about much more. The quintessential Bama coach with six national championships under his belt took his gift to the analyst’s panel with ESPN and has been making a stir ever since. The veteran’s deep knowledge and invaluable insights about the nitty gritty of the games added a different flair to the mix. Heck, pretty hilarious, but truth, his odd couple dynamic with Pat McAfee has also been a huge hit among fans. But still, the crux of all that hype hinges on Saban’s strong Alabama tie. As he will be a part of the college GameDay crew hosting LSU vs Alabama in week 9, Brian Kelly seems to be a little rigid on his boundary.

Despite LSU football being on the critics’ gunpoint for their visible slip in the season after a defeat against Texas A&M last week, they had a great opportunity to snap back to the race with a potential win over Alabama. On the other hand, DeBoer also doesn’t want to keep their re-founded momentum fizzling so early after a huge Missouri win. With his flowing current between the two powerhouses, the November 9 showdown seems to be anything but a lopsided call. Adding to the fire, Kelly ensures to keep the Nick Saban effect in check before or during the match.

As an eminent College GameDay personality, Saban and his crew can rightfully be around the LSU team camp for practice reasons or some other technicalities. But as Saban continues to be on Alabama’s play role, Kelly gets his insecurity button triggered. When Paul Finebaum asked him about his approach, the veteran coach said, ”They say keep your friend close and the enemy closer, so we are gonna let him hang around a little but we are not going to let him in the Locker room.”

But chill, it was all for a joke. The LSU coach, before facing off against the Tide, seemed to be in the mood to let it loose a bit with a couple of other Nick Saban pokes. In the context of Alabam getting back to their old self, Kelly told On3, ‘What does that old self look like? What is Nick Saban back? Is Nick’s on the sideline? He’s everywhere. GameDay, he’s at GameDay too. Oh my god, ”

The 63-year-old has his act together before the crucial SEC challenger. He’s not treating the No. 11 Alabama any special, anyway. Although Kelly believes the game will be a tough nut to crack, he doesn’t find any reason to underestimate his boys’ ability to pass through that if they play their best. It’s simply another heavy SEC weekend for the Tigers. However, coming back to the former Bama coach, Kelly has always been on cordial terms with Saban and owes a significant part of his career decision to him.

Brian Kelly opened up about Nick Saban’s instrumental role in his LSU coaching job

Saban has been a beacon to his Alabama associates and everyone who got a piece of him at any point in their lives. Brian Kelly, as a former head coach of Notre Dame, came in close contact with Saban several times, and it helped his career spin better in some way or another.

In a 2022 interview with CBS Dennis Dodd, Kelly revealed that before signing the deal with LSU, he consulted with Nick Saban. And what could be better than getting advice from a guy who’s been there and done that even if he’s a rival?

”Nick and I have always had a relationship. We’re busy. It’s not like we’re gonna sit down and say, ‘Hey, what do you think?’ In my conversations, he can talk about his experiences and what the strengths are of a program like LSU,”  said Kelly.

In his tenure as the Notre Dame coach, Kelly couldn’t beat Saban (Alabama) for once. Now, it will be interesting to see if Kalen DeBoer leaves an inch for him to alter the trend.

What’s your take on Nick Saban potentially getting restricted from availing LSU facilities for his existing Alabama tie? Let us know in the comments.