LSU National Championship Seasons
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Year
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Coach, Overall Record and SEC Record
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1958
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Paul Dietzel 11–0, 6–0 - The Chinese Bandits was the nickname of one of three units utilized in coach Paul Dietzel's three-platoon
system that vaulted LSU to the national championship in 1958.
That year the first team was named the White Team, an offensive unit was named the Go Team and a defensive unit was tabbed the Chinese
Bandits.
In the first few games, when the Tigers were leading by quite a few points, the third string would go in on defense. Now, it was not that the third
string was not good, on most teams, they would be starters. Well, they would smother the offense of the other team. A lot of the defense was
made up of big fast backs. They were the defensive ends and linebackers mostly.
Very seldom would you see a single player making a tackle. It was usually gang tackling. And because they were third string, they played with the
idea of moving up, so they played with more heart.
Folklore said the Chinese Bandits attacked and plundered with reckless abandon. The defensive subs were known as the Chinese Bandits and
their inspired play (they didn't give up a touchdown all season) symbolized LSU's remarkable 11-0 season
The name stuck, thanks to the pressboxers. The Bandits were getting more publicity than anyone else. It was sealed when Sports Illustrated did
a feature on them. Life magazine featured them in a photo in Chinese masks. In 1980, the LSU band revived the "Bandit" tune played when the
Tigers defense stalls any opponent's drive.
The name Chinese Bandits was Dietzel's idea. The name came from the newspaper strip Terry and the Pirates that declared the self-said
bandits to be the "most vicious people in tn the world.
LSU was playing Paul Bryant's first Alabama team in Mobile in 1958 and the score was 0-0. One of the temporary wooden grandstands erected
had collapsed with more than 1,400 persons on it. The game was halted to help pull persons from the rubble and summon ambulances for the
injured.
In the second quarter Alabama recovered a Billy Cannon fumble and advanced to the LSU 5-yard line.
Dietzel responded by putting in the Bandits and the seeds of legend began to be sown. The Tide gained just one yard in three downs and had to
settle for a field goal.
"The Bandits held them and from that time on the Bandits had arrived," Dietzel said later. "I mean they thought they were some kind of stuff."
LSU won the game, 13-3.
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2003
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Nick Saban 13–1, 7–1 - The team's staff also included future head coaches Jimbo Fisher and Will Muschamp.
The Tigers defeated Oklahoma 21-14 in the BCS title game.
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2007
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Les Miles SEC 12–2, 6–2 - Future Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini was also on the staff. The Tigers faced Ohio
State in the championship game and prevailed 38-24 in the Superdome.
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