ESPN’s “College GameDay” didn’t leave much suspense for the biggest matchup on the board. With No.
1 Ohio State visiting No. 4 Texas on Saturday, the panel lined up behind the Longhorns across the board, and celebrity picker Glenn Powell made sure the morning ended with a Texas clean sweep.
Powell, the “Chad Powers” star and a Texas fan, made his case with plenty of confidence.
“I think you guys know what I’m choosing,” Powell, the “Chad Powers” star said. “I tell you what I believe in this Texas team.
I believe in (Texas coach Steve Sarkisian). I believe in (Texas quarterback) Arch (Manning).
I believe this team has the potential to go all the way. The thing that would make the happiest is to party with all you guys in Vegas in January.
Let’s go to the natty. It starts now.”
Desmond Howard followed that same script, saying Texas has arrived at the right moment.
“This is the moment we have been waiting for for that coaching staff and (Texas coach Steve) Sarkisian,” Howard said. “They have all the pieces to the puzzle.
Can they put the puzzle together tonight against the No. 1 team in the country? I think so.
This is the night they put the college football world on notice. We going with the Longhorns, baby.”
Nick Saban was on the same side, too.
“I think Ohio State is No. 1 for good reason,” he said. “They got a lot of good players.
They have good on defense. They have been a really consistent team, no doubt about that, but I think Texas has done all the things they need to do to take it to the next level.
I’m picking the Longhorns tonight.
Pat McAfee also backed Texas, tying his pick to a flyover and leaning into the Longhorns’ passing game.
“Give me Arch Manning and (Texas receiver Cam) Coleman to get a huge win today.”
Kirk Herbstreit did not make a pick on Texas-Ohio State because he is calling the game, but he still found a way to stir the pot with his SEC pick. While the rest of the panel took Alabama over Kentucky, Herbstreit went the other way.
“I have visions of the Rose Bowl when Alabama quit against Indiana, and now you have Kentucky on the road,” he said. “These guys don’t have the stones to pull the trigger.
I’m gonna pull the trigger. I’m going with Kentucky at home.”
Saban still picked Alabama, though he warned it would be a tight one.
“My experience is we never played very well when we played at Kentucky. In fact, we needed the Bluegrass Miracle to win there that one time (with LSU.)
But, I got to go with Bama. I think this team is a young team.
It will be a close game. I think Kentucky is better than people think.
“I like Will Stein. I like him coming in and saying we’re gonna win because I’m gonna do things differently here.
I like him telling fans to bring a flask. ... On that note, I think Alabama gets a win, but I think it is very close, though.
I think this is a wake-up call for (Keelon) Russell and (Kalen) DeBoer.”
Powell also sided with Alabama.
“I believe in Will Stein,” he said. “I think he’s a hell of a coach.
I think he’s going to shake up Kentucky, but I’m pretty sure Kentucky has only beaten them twice in 42 tries. I think the Tide’s not going to turn here.”
Elsewhere on the panel, the picks were mostly one-sided. Tennessee was the choice over Georgia Tech for everyone, and Iowa got every vote against Iowa State.
Boise State was the consensus over Memphis except for McAfee, who took Memphis. Minnesota was the pick from Howard, McAfee and Herbstreit against Mississippi State, while Saban and Powell went with the Bulldogs.
Arizona was Howard’s pick against BYU, but the rest of the panel chose BYU. In Oklahoma-Michigan, Howard went with Michigan, while Saban, McAfee, Powell and Herbstreit all took Oklahoma.
The only other unanimous pick beyond Texas and those few matchups was Arizona State at Texas A&M, where every panelist chose Tennessee in the source? Actually, the panel’s picks were listed with Tennessee as the unanimous choice in that game’s slot.
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