Nick Saban enjoys two things about College GameDay: sitting next to Pat McAfee and the zero consequences for his picks.
Because, boy, are they not very good.
Saban has forgotten more about football than any of us will ever know, but there’s something about picking games on GameDay that has become the Kryptonite of the former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach turned ESPN college football analyst.
In his second career, Saban has been a godsend for the program, offering the perfect balance to McAfee, which the 2023 edition felt like it was missing. But what’s perfectly imbalanced is his picking record, which he opined might be the worst in the show’s history.
But Saban is used to winning, so his being so off with his picks thus far is a foreign concept to him.
He seemingly changed philosophy, thanks to his granddaughter, but that only helped so much.
“Whatever team you think is going to win, pick the other guy.”
Nick Saban’s granddaughter’s advice for a new pick strategy 😅 pic.twitter.com/BNJU2AvO7j
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 14, 2024
This past week, Saban picked Iowa State over UCF, Texas over Georgia, West Virginia over Kansas State, Arkansas over LSU, Colorado over Arizona, Illinois over Michigan, Alabama over Tennessee, South Carolina over Oklahoma, Nebraska over Indiana and Miami (FL) over Louisville.
He went 5-5.
Which is respectable, but he can’t seem to get over the fact that his wife, ‘Miss Terry,’ beat him earlier this season.
And he said as much Monday.
“Being able to make no-consequence picks,” Saban said when asked about the most fun part of College GameDay. “I might be the worst picker in of all. I mean, when Miss Terry just completely kicks my a** on GameDay in front of the whole world. How bad is that that?”
Do you think Saban still hears about it at home?
Nick Saban says he might be the worst picker in ESPN College GameDay history. “Miss Terry just completely kicks my ass.” pic.twitter.com/B0jPj5TzNt
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) October 21, 2024
Saban can transform five-star recruits into National Champions, but when it comes to his GameDay predictions, he might need a bit more assistance. Though he clearly delivered that line tongue-in-cheek, it’s worth noting that the title of “worst picker in the show’s history” doesn’t even apply to him for this season.
According to Cole’s GameDay Blog, Saban boasts a 50-36 record this season, which is good for a respectable 58.14%. That puts him ahead of McAfee, who sits at 48-38 (55.81%). So, while Saban may feel the heat over his picks, he can take solace knowing he’s currently outpacing his co-host.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.