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Stay hydrated with Joe’s free newsletter, SPORTS! Happy Hour. Here’s the link to sign up. Perspective. _____________________________ LSU is dreaming of Nick Saban today. It’s a fool’s hope, but I can’t blame them. College football has turned into a joyride through the pumpkin patch of disbelief. Who needs Lane Kiffin? Why not try to pull off the impossible and hire the guy that Kiffin could never beat? Would Saban, whose name is on Alabama’s football field, actually consider returning to Baton Rouge for a couple seasons? Let’s be real. It’s not likely to happen. After all, Saban is 74 years old today (happy birthday, Coach) and a walking symbol of Alabama football pride. Plus, he’s having fun on ESPN College GameDay with good buddy Pat McAfee. But Saban remains fond of LSU. That can’t be denied. He loves the people there and they still love him. Saban would probably do it for $20 million per season. Who wouldn’t? Don’t rule out Saban to LSU until he strikes down the idea on GameDay. Saban has already suggested that Kiffin should stay put at Ole Miss. Sure sounds like his GOATness is clearing the runway for someone. I’m teasing, of course, but is anything out of the question these days in college football? Bill Belichick is at North Carolina. Penn State fired James Franklin after he made the playoffs last year. Auburn is suddenly the beacon of fiscal responsibility in the SEC. College football is messier than Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras in the rain. There are no rules. There are no guardrails. Greg Sankey is passed out in the replay room back in Birmingham, and the SEC can’t even find proper officials to call its games anymore. Is it even the same sport since Saban retired two years ago? Let’s look at the current AP Poll going into Week 10’s set of games. This season’s first rankings by the College Football Playoff selection committee will be released at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. What to expect? Nerds. Lots of happy nerds. Indiana is ranked No.2 in the country and looks like a juggernaut. Texas A&M is No.3. Georgia Tech is No.8 followed by No.9 Vanderbilt and No.10 BYU. Is this the math bowl or college football? Who wants to see Saban come out of retirement and then lose a game against Vanderbilt? Personally, I don’t think Saban could build a guaranteed playoff contender in today’s modern age of college football, but the Cajun Navy would put the boats up for sale if it meant getting their old friend back on the Bayou. LSU fired Brian Kelly after the loss to Texas A&M and on Thursday the axe fell for athletics director Scott Woodward. Kelly was a bad fit from the beginning and Woodward was a political casualty after LSU governor Jeff Landry turned into Huey P. Long for Halloween and took over the athletics department. A quick history lesson for the kiddos. Long was the governor of Louisiana and then a U.S. Senator in the 1920s and 30s. He was quite the character. Lotta fun at parties. When Long wasn’t fighting for the common man, he championed LSU football. LSU was his baby and it helped his popularity. Back in the early days of Southern football, Long really hated Vanderbilt. He even paid for students and fans to travel from Baton Rouge to Nashville for a game. Long then led a parade through the streets of Nashville from the train station to West End. A little crazy? Maybe so, but stories like that are why the SEC and college football are woven into the fabric of Southern culture today. Considering the history of college football in the Deep South, something like Saban returning to the sidelines of LSU Tiger Stadium wouldn’t exactly be unprecedented. For example: A former Auburn football coach currently represents Alabama in the U.S. Senate, and Tommy Tuberville is expected to be the state’s next governor. A little crazy? Yeah, maybe so, but in the Deep South pretty much everything revolves around game day. Beginning in 2026, Auburn’s new annual SEC rival is Vanderbilt. Parade anyone? MAKE YOUR PICKS Don’t forget to make your picks for this week’s 6-0 Challenge presented by Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero. Joe went 0-6 last week against the spread. He appreciates the moral support. MAILBAG SOUND OFF Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything for the reader mailbag.
