When Saban left LSU, effects were profound at OSU
Published: 10/25/2011 3:39 PM
Last Modified: 10/25/2011 3:39 PM
In this week's Bowl Championship Series standings, Les Miles and LSU occupy the No. 1 position.
Nick Saban and Alabama are No. 2.
Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State are No. 3.
When the Miami Dolphins hired Saban away from LSU in December 2004, Oklahoma State was profoundly affected. Within a few days, Miles left OSU to become the new LSU coach. OSU’s immediate reaction was to promote Gundy, who had been Miles’ offensive coordinator.
Seven years later, Miles-Saban-Gundy are 1-2-3 in the BCS.
“I never even thought about that,” Gundy said on Monday. “Those two cats are good. They’ve got good teams.”
If OSU can complete a 12-0 regular season, the BCS championship game could match the Cowboys and the winner of next week’s LSU-Alabama showdown in Tuscaloosa.
Gundy was asked this: When you watch any televised college game, do you envision how your offense might fare against the defenses you’re watching? Do you envision how your offense might perform against an LSU defense or an Alabama defense?
“Oh, yeah,” Gundy replied. “You’ve got to come up with a plan. (Identify) strengths and weaknesses. You can’t just look at it and see obstacles. Your approach has to be, ‘OK, what can we do to make it happen?’ I know they’re good. Nobody has to tell me they’re good. How do you score 35 points?
“It doesn’t matter how good they are. I just need to know how to score 35 points somehow.”
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
