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    • Nick Saban picked Georgia Tech as the ACC’s “sleeper” before defeating No. 10 FSU
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    Nick Saban picked Georgia Tech as the ACC’s “sleeper” before defeating No. 10 FSU

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban made his official debut on ESPN’s “College Gameday” today, delivering what some at the time might have been his first “hot take” in his new role.

    But after the outcome of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin on Saturday, the seven-time national coach may have been on to something. Shocking, right?

    The fact that Georgia Tech, Saban’s “surprise team” in the ACC Conference this season, is his secret tip this season is mainly due to kicker Aidan Birr’s leg injury. The Yellow Jackets pulled off the first surprise of the young college football season on Saturday with Birr’s game-winning 44-yard field goal, beating number 10 Florida State 24-21.

    REQUIRED READING: Who did Nick Saban select for the College Football Playoffs on College GameDay?

    So what prompted Saban, who will appear on “GameDay” every week this season, to choose a team that went 5-3 in the ACC last season and finished ninth in this year’s conference preseason poll? Here’s his answer:

    “My secret tip is Georgia Tech,” Saban said on Saturday on “GameDay.” “I really believe that. They were top-three offensively in the ACC last year. They weren’t very good on defense, they got a new defensive coordinator and some new players from the portal.”

    “If they can play a little better on defense, they’re going to give people a huge headache with their offense, their running quarterback and their offensive skills.”

    Although Georgia Tech didn’t play a perfect defensive game against Florida State in Dublin on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets’ defense was successful at key moments throughout the game and caused problems for Seminoles quarterback DJ Uigalelei all afternoon.

    Uigalelei completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards as the Yellow Jackets held the Seminoles to fewer than 100 yards rushing on the day, with 98 yards rushing – something that only happened four times for FSU last season. Georgia Tech also posted seven tackles for a loss of 17 yards on Saturday.

    Second-year Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key is also a disciple of Saban’s coaching pedigree. Key was the Crimson Tide’s offensive line coach from 2016-18 and helped Saban lead Alabama to the 2017 national championship. The Tides’ offensive line was also a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s best offensive line that season, twice under Key.

    So it goes without saying whether that’s a home run tip from Saban. We’ll see, but at least for now, Saban certainly looks smart in his new job. (Saban also picked his former team as the No. 7 seed for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff on Saturday and set up a first-round game in Tuscaloosa against college football powerhouse Notre Dame.

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    Idris Bevan
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