During his debut on ESPN’s College GameDay, Nick Saban, the seven-time national champion, revealed his College Football Playoff (CFP) predictions for the upcoming season.
Saban selected five Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams to make the 12-team field: Georgia at No. 1, Texas at No. 5, Alabama at No. 7, Ole Miss at No. 8, and LSU at No. 11. His top four conference champions included Georgia, Ohio State (No. 2), Florida State (No. 3), and Utah (No. 4). Saban’s decision to choose Georgia over Alabama as the SEC Champion was particularly notable, as it was a departure from picking his former team.
Saban explained his decision by stating:
“Georgia, Texas, and Alabama are my top three in the SEC, but someone has to prove they can beat Georgia. So, I got to pick Georgia.”
LSU, while not in the latest 247Sports projections, was highlighted by Saban as a potential sleeper due to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who replaces Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
“Garrett Nussmeier is going to be one of the all-time sleepers in college football this year at quarterback,” Saban remarked, underscoring LSU’s depth, particularly at the wide receiver position.
Saban also chose three Big Ten teams for the CFP: Ohio State, Oregon (No. 6), and Penn State (No. 9). He has Ohio State defeating Oregon in the Big Ten Championship but foresees the Ducks avenging that loss in the CFP semifinals before falling to Georgia in the national championship.
“Ohio State and Oregon are the two teams in the Big Ten with the best chance at winning a national championship,” Saban said, noting Ohio State’s superiority in the trenches as the decisive factor.
Additionally, Saban’s bracket includes Notre Dame (No. 10) and Liberty (No. 12), with Missouri and Clemson just missing the cut. His Big 12 pick was Utah, predicting they would dominate the conference thanks to quarterback Cam Rising and their strong defense, despite others favoring Kansas State or Oklahoma State.
