Nick Saban Tabs College Football Power as a Dark Horse National Title Contender

Trying to project a national champion right now looks like an impossible task, but Nick Saban thinks one two-loss SEC hopeful can make a run.

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The school that eventually wins the college football national championship may not be on the field this weekend. And it could come from the list of current two-loss teams.

Just a few days from the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings, Nick Saban believes a sleeper from the SEC could make a run.

Nick Saban’s sleeper CFP pick

Lane Kiffin in the College Football Playoff in his first year at LSU? It could happen.

“You got LSU. LSU has scored over 40 points a game. They’re only giving up 16 a game,” Saban said on College GameDay.

He added: “They beat six teams by 20-plus points. If their skill guys play a little better and Sam Leavitt doesn’t turn the ball over, this could be the team to go all the way.”

It’s hard to find a national title contender

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Picking a team that goes all the way looks more difficult this year than most other years. 

Whether it’s NIL or the transfer portal, or both or neither, college football has more parity in 2026 than fans are used to seeing, with upsets and sweeping poll movements the norm rather than the exception.

LSU has been caught up in the middle of those changes itself. Debuting at No. 11 in the preseason poll, it moved to No. 7 after clobbering Clemson, but losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky, both on the road, dropped them down to No. 22.

Now the No. 15 team in the country after dominant wins against Mississippi State and Auburn, the Tigers now sit fourth in the SEC standings.

That’s either an ideal position to strike, or a perfect place to take a serious fall. Which course they take depends on the next three weeks.

What LSU faces going forward

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Wherever LSU goes in the future, they’ll have to earn it.

Idle in Week 9, the Tigers return with a pair of home games against blue-chip SEC opponents. First up will be Alabama on Nov. 7 and then against Texas on Nov. 14.

After that comes a trip to current No. 16 Tennessee before closing out at Arkansas.

It’s a tough schedule, but if LSU can somehow weather that storm and emerge from the rubble with a 10-2 record, it would be basically impossible to deny them a place in the 12-team field.

And depending on how things shake out in the standings, it’s entirely possible that LSU puts itself in position to play for the SEC championship.

There’s still plenty to sort out, but at this stage LSU has the people and the stage to prove they belong in the College Football Playoff. Or to prove they don’t.