ESPN's College GameDay shares LSU-Florida predictions, plus live tiger thought
All but one member of ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew predicted LSU to beat Florida on Saturday.
Desmond Howard kicked off the broadcast’s segment on the SEC matchup with a forecast of the Gators to win at home, despite saying he’s not sure how close freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway will be to full-effectiveness.
“He just may get LSU,” said the former Heisman winner at Michigan and Super Bowl champion with the Green Bay Packers. “I saw ’em last week against Alabama, and that team, they just didn’t look good. So I’m gonna go with the Gators if I had to pick a team.”
The rest of the commentators and celebrity guest-picker Cody Rhodes, a professional wrester in the WWE, each disagreed one by one, beginning with former national championship LSU and Alabama coach Nick Saban.
The coach picked the Crimson Tide to win last week head-to-head, but said he expected the Tigers to respond on the road.
“I think this is a little bit of a gut-check for LSU,” Saban said. “If they respond the right way, I think that they’re better than Florida. I’m gonna go with LSU.”
Top 10
- 1New
USC scuffle
Trojan players confront Nebraska
- 2
Travis Hunter
Colorado star strikes Heisman pose
- 3Hot
Shot at John Calipari
UK AD jabs former HC
- 4
Curt Cignetti
Indiana agrees to raise, extension for HC
- 5
Bear Alexander
USC transfer at UGA
Pat McAfee, Rhodes, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit all followed suit
McAfee, the former West Virginia and Indianapolis Colts punter, brought up the Tigers’ remaining chance of possibly reaching the SEC Championship Game next month in Atlanta.
“I do know that they’re gonna get a win over Florida Gators today,” McAfee said, beginning to feign a Southern drawl. “And governor Jeff Landry still has an opportunity to put a live tiger in Mercedes-Benz Stadium if they make it to the SEC championship.”
Corso pointed out LSU’s five straight wins against Florida and projected the streak to extend Saturday to six.
The Tigers and Gators are scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
