Nick Saban debuts in new position on College Gameday, picks Tide to make playoff

The start of college football season means something different for Nick Saban this year.

Instead of making final preparations in Tuscaloosa, Saban was across the pond for the opening game as Georgia Tech and Florida State played in Ireland. He started his new full-time gig as an analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday.

Keep reading to see what Saban had to say about the Crimson Tide and other SEC teams + check out his full prediction for the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Saban on Alabama

It’s safe to say there is no other media member that knows more about this year’s Alabama team than Nick Saban does. And even with the legendary coach retired, expectations are through the roof for the Crimson Tide.

In the first Gameday show of the season, Alabama was a key topic of conversation and Saban had some thoughts on his former team.

“That team has the same culture they had when I was the coach. They play with toughness, they play with great effort. They execute well, they’ve got good discipline. Kalen has done a really good job.”

~ Nick Saban on ESPN

Saban said he has high hopes for the offense with Jalen Milroe returning alongside Jam Miller and Justice Haynes in the backfield. But he also said he got a good look at the team during a recent scrimmage and spoke highly about the Tide’s defense.

For that reason, Saban put Alabama into his projected College Football Playoff bracket, taking up the #7 seed in the 12-team bracket. He didn’t give an exact win prediction but to get that spot, the Crimson Tide would likely need to win at least 10 games.

The rest of the SEC

Saban had four other SEC teams in his top 12, including Georgia taking up the top spot. He also picked the Bulldogs to eventually win the national championship, shortly after saying Alabama has been the only team to defeat Kirby Smart’s team in the last three seasons.

The other conference teams to make Saban’s playoff prediction are:

• Texas
• Ole Miss
• LSU

He also mentioned Missouri and Tennessee as the first two teams out of the playoff.

Auburn was also a part of the discussion and Saban said the Tigers could end up being the most improved team in the entire conference.

College Football Playoff prediction

Before the show wrapped up, each member of the College Gameday panel revealed their full prediction for the 2024 playoff. This is the first year with a 12-team playoff with five of them earning automatic bids as the highest ranked conference champions.

Here is Saban’s full projected field:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Florida State
4. Utah
5. Texas
6. Oregon
7. Alabama
8. Ole Miss
9. Penn State
10. Notre Dame
11. LSU
12. Liberty

Of course, some of that could change. Especially considering Georgia Tech’s upset win over Florida State on Saturday.

Do you think Saban’s predictions are correct? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.