ESPN’s College GameDay opened the 2026 season with a national title question, and the panel handed out a spread that left preseason No. 1 Ohio State completely out of the championship picture.
On Saturday, before LSU-Clemson, the show asked its regulars to make their College Football Playoff title picks. Desmond Howard went with Texas over Notre Dame.
Pat McAfee chose Indiana over Ole Miss. Kirk Herbstreit had Notre Dame over Indiana.
Nick Saban was the one who tossed Miami into the mix, picking the Hurricanes to beat Texas.
That Miami call came with the kind of praise that can quickly turn into trouble if a team starts believing too much of it.
"The number of good teams that we talked about today, there's no magic in terms of who you pick and it's just your best guess, but I'm saying Miami versus Texas and Miami wins."
Nick Saban
Saban was the only regular panelist to put Miami in the final and the only one to back the Hurricanes to win the whole thing. For a team hearing its name mentioned that way, it is flattering. It can also become a dangerous kind of noise if the focus slips.
Mario Cristobal, of course, knows this world well. He spent time as a Saban assistant, so he understands what comes with being talked up before the season even gets going.
Saban was already singing Miami’s praises last year, saying the Hurricanes deserved a spot in the CFP, so this latest nod was not exactly a shock. Still, Miami will have to keep its head down and stay locked in.
The ACC race also drew a clear split. Howard, Saban, Herbstreit and Wilson all picked Miami to win the conference, while McAfee went with North Carolina.
And then there was Ohio State. The Buckeyes entered the weekend as the AP No. 1 team, but not one of Howard, Saban, McAfee or Herbstreit put them in the title game. Saban did select Ohio State to win the Big Ten, while Howard and Wilson went with Oregon, and McAfee and Herbstreit picked Indiana.
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ESPNs Football Power Index has begun to tilt more favorably toward Virginia Tech in the coming weeks, and that matters for a team trying to build momentum early. The next stretch still includes tricky tests, but after a dominant first weekend, the Hokies suddenly look like a team whose path can be measured not just by whether it can win, but by how far this start can carry them before the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]