The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season come out next week, but longtime Alabama head coach Nick Saban is already making his predictions.
During a segment on “College GameDay” this morning, the seven-time national title-winning coach named Notre Dame as his favorite to win the national title. That is, if the Fighting Irish can finally show they can win the big game.
“I’m going with Notre Dame. They have the quarterback, but the one thing Notre Dame, to me, has to do is show people they can win the big game,” Saban said. “They have the defense to do it – they’re plus-14 in turnovers. So I think this is a team that, if they can get it together and win the close game, the big game, they’ll be up there.”
Who are the CFP title contenders and which teams are sleepers? 👀
The crew give their takes 🏆@ReceDavis | @DesmondHoward | @KirkHerbstreit | @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/DLDQhqb6Z7— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 31, 2026
The longtime Alabama head coach later named LSU as a potential sleeper candidate to win the national title thanks to its potent offense.
Notre Dame previously made the national title game two years ago in a 34-23 loss to Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Head coach Marcus Freeman is 49-13 during his tenure in charge of the Fighting Irish, who are once again in the thick of the playoff race.
Notre Dame’s only loss so far this season came against a BYU team that suffered its first loss of the season in a let-down performance against UCF following its upset of the Irish. Freeman and company face a relatively easy path to the College Football Playoff with only two of its final five games coming against ranked opponents.
That does include a heavyweight matchup against current No. 1 Miami, which is scheduled for Nov. 7.
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