The first round of the College Football Playoff has arrived, bringing one of the most anticipated weekends of the season as four teams look to punch their tickets to the quarterfinals.
The CFP first round opened Friday with No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide defeating No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. Saban was the lone panelist to correctly select Alabama, as the rest backed Oklahoma.
The panel on ESPN College GameDay of Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and celebrity guest picker Alex Caruso made their selections for Saturday’s slate, which will determine who advances to join Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech in the quarterfinals.
No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 12 James Madison Dukes
The panel was unanimous in backing Oregon at home. Despite James Madison’s historic run, every picker sided with the Ducks to move on from Eugene.
No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 11 Tulane Green Wave
Ole Miss earned picks from Howard, Saban, McAfee and Herbstreit, while Caruso went against the grain by choosing Tulane, backing the Green Wave to extend their postseason push.
No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 10 Miami Hurricanes
This matchup produced a split decision. Herbstreit, McAfee and Caruso leaned toward Texas A&M at Kyle Field, while Howard and Saban picked Miami.
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