College Football HQ

Brian Kelly reveals one huge goal at LSU

Brian Kelly knows that to be the best, you have to beat the best.

James Parks

Brian Kelly reveals one huge goal at LSU
Brian Kelly reveals one huge goal at LSU /

Brian Kelly shocked the college football world by leaving Notre Dame to coach LSU this offseason. 

Now in the SEC, Kelly says he wants to accomplish one thing in particular.

"I want to beat Nick Saban," Kelly told Varsity House Podcast.

"Who doesn’t want to beat Nick Saban?" Kelly said. "You know what I mean? I want to play him in the regular season. That’s the standard. Now, he’s a conference opponent."

Of course, beating Nick Saban is not something that comes easily. Saban has turned Alabama into the unchallenged dynasty of the 21 century, if not college football history.

Alabama has won six national championships under his watch, leads all schools in College Football Playoff appearances and wins, and is a fixture at NFL Draft time.

LSU has won just four of the 16 games against the Crimson Tide under Saban, which won eight straight in the series, including the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.

Kelly does have a history of turning around struggling programs, not least Notre Dame, which he led to a pair of College Football Playoff berths and has won at least 10 games in each of the last five seasons.

Even if the Irish also struggled at times against Southern powers, losing to Alabama in a BCS title game by a 42-14 score, a 30-3 loss against Clemson in a semifinal, and a 31-14 loss to the Tide in another CFP game.

We'll see how Kelly fares against the SEC West every week this fall. LSU hosts Alabama to Death Valley on Nov. 5.

(h/t Varsity House Podcast)

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.

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