This article has been updated to add new information related to the postponement of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban has revealed his predictions for the three College Football Playoff quarterfinal games to be played on New Year’s Day 2025.
From his seat on ESPN’s “College Gameday” Wednesday inside an empty Rose Bowl Stadium, Saban talked about Ohio State vs. Oregon State in Pasadena, Texas vs. Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, And he predicted the 2018 Notre Dame vs. Georgia State game. sugar bowl.
Saban led his former assistant Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns (12-2) to the Big 12 champion Sun Devils (11-2) in the Peach Bowl matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. broke.
Saban said:
“I think Arizona (state) has a lot of momentum coming out of the season, but I think Texas has too much talent on both sides of the ball…I like Texas in this game.”
The winner of Texas vs. Arizona State will face the winner of Ohio State vs. Oregon State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.
Saban added after defeating Georgia (10-2) and Notre Dame (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans.
“I believe in Gunner Stockton, so we’re going to take Georgia. I think the guy is a winner. He has a big challenge in front of him, but how Georgia plays in these types of games. I think they know how to do it. They’ve been involved in a lot of successful projects.”
The winner of Georgia vs. Notre Dame will play Penn State in the Orange Bowl next Thursday. The Nittany Lions defeated Boise State 31-14 in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona on Tuesday.
The Sugar Bowl announced Wednesday that the game has been postponed until Thursday at 3 p.m. The announcement followed a deadly attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter early Wednesday morning.
A pickup truck deliberately plowed into a large crowd, killing 10 people and injuring at least 35 others, police said.
According to USA TODAY:
Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said, “After consulting with representatives from both schools, conferences, and ESPN, we have determined that postponing the game for 24 hours is in the best interest of everyone and public safety.” All parties involved agreed.”
Nick Saban predicts Oregon vs. Ohio State Rose Bowl winner
The most anticipated matchup in the quarterfinals is the Rose Bowl, where Oregon State (13-0) remains the last undefeated team in college football. The Ducks will face Ohio State (11-2) in a rematch after Oregon State won 32-31 in Eugene on Oct. 12.
This time, Saban won by defeating the Buckeyes.
“I don’t think we should pick this game until the next round, as everyone knows. Even if it’s two Big Ten teams, that’s it. To me, they’re the best in the country. But anyway, I think it’s going to be hard for Oregon to bounce back and beat this team again, so I’m going to take Ohio State.
Kickoff for the Rose Bowl is set for 4 p.m. Central Time. All of today’s College Football Playoff games will be aired on ESPN.
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