Nick Saban delivers harsh verdict on South Carolina’s football stadium ahead of LSU matchup

On Friday, Nick Saban joined Pat McAfee on "The Pat McAfee Show" and shared his candid thoughts about South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium ahead of Saturday's LSU matchup.

The game kicks off at noon ET (9 a.m. PT). LSU (1-1) is coming off a 44-21 win against Nicholls State, while South Carolina (2-0) defeated Kentucky 31-6.

Saban, co-host of ESPN College GameDay, called Williams-Brice Stadium "a hard place to play."

The seven-time national champion coach noted that South Carolina always seems to perform better on their home turf. When McAfee asked what to expect from the energy of the stadium, Saban joked that he had been warned it would be "bananas."

Saban, recalling his own experience at the stadium, said that back in 2010, Alabama had won 19 games in a row, came here, and they “kicked our bu**.”

“This is a hard place to play,” Saban said. “I mean, once way back in 2010. I think we had won 19 games in a row. We came here and played and I mean, we got the line on, kicked out our butt, boy, they just really, it's a hard place to play.”

“It's noisy,” he added. “They always seem to play better here so I think this is going to be a real test for LSU tomorrow.”

In October 2010, Saban's Alabama team, ranked No. 1, lost to No. 19 South Carolina 35-21 in front of a packed crowd of 82,993 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The loss was a tough one for Crimson Tide, as they were defending national champions at the time.

Nick Saban sees danger in playoff obsession

LSU’s hopes of making the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff are still alive, and the journey continues Saturday. Coach Brian Kelly and his squad head to Columbia, South Carolina, for their 2024 SEC opener against the Gamecocks.

Former coach Nick Saban shared his thoughts on the importance of road games and momentum ahead of the matchup. He also emphasized that too much focus on the Playoff can be distracting.

“I think there’s really too much emphasis on the Playoff, what’s coming up at the end, than just focusing on just being the best player you can be, day-in, day-out, week-in, week-out,” Saban said. [1:09:49]

College GameDay analyst Nick Saban explained on The Pat McAfee Show:

“First of all, they know they’ve got not only the challenge of the other team, but the challenge of the circumstance that they’re going to play in, whether it’s noise."

“How people are going to respond to every play in the game,” he added. “So if your team can stay focus on the right things that matter in the game, and in tough circumstances, I think it always feels like it was a greater victory, because of the adversity that you had to overcome.”

Catch LSU vs. South Carolina live today on ABC, or stream it on the ESPN app and ESPN+.