Nick Saban Doesn’t Hold Back on Oregon Ducks’ Playoff Prediction

The No. 5 Oregon Ducks are hosting the No. 12 James Madison Dukes on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban didn't hold back when giving his thoughts on the matchup during ESPN's College GameDay.

"If the eyeball test means anything, I agree with you. Oregon will kick their ass," Saban said to Stanford Steve, who picked Oregon to dominate James Madison.

The Ducks enter the game as heavy favorites and Saban seems to agree. In fact, Oregon is favored by 20.5 points over JMU on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the spread would be the largest in CFP history, according to ESPN's Rece Davis.

Nick Saban Oregon Ducks James Madison Dukes College Football Playoff Espn's College GameDay prediction dan lanning big ten — Oregon celebrates a touchdown by Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The popular morning show is at No. 7 Texas A&M for the Aggies' playoff game against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, and the game between Oregon and James Madison did not receive much air time. Still, Saban and the rest of the GameDay crew still previewed the playoff matchup.

Nick Saban's Keys for Oregon vs. James Madison

Saban made his thoughts on the eye test known, but he still revealed his keys for James Madison to have a chance at upsetting Oregon. The Dukes have one of the best rush offenses in the country, but Saban questioned how effective James Madison can be against the Ducks.

"They are a ball control, run the ball team. And against the teams that they've played, they've been able to do that. Can they do that against Oregon? I'm not sure. It's going to be a lot more physical up front on the line of scrimmage," said Saban. "But the thing, I think, is going to be the key of the game is can they keep Oregon from making explosive plays? You know, Oregon is one of the most explosive teams in the country."

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"Can they stop the run, stop the explosive plays, some kind of way to make Dante Moore have to win the game from the pocket then kind of affect him some kind of way. That's their only chance," Saban concluded.

Kirk Herbstreit's Thoughts

For College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit, he is focused on the early part of the game.

"The first quarter is going to tell you everything about this game. First 15 minutes, if Oregon comes out with energy and scores, it could get ugly. On the other hand, if it's tight," Herbstreit said before being interrupted by his cast mates.

Oregon does have an explosive offense, ranked No. 9 in the nation averaging 38.2 points per game, and the Ducks can beat teams in multiple ways. With a number of injuries at the wide receiver, Oregon has proven it can lean on the ground game. That being said, the Ducks can still score quickly whether it comes on the ground or in the air with tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Malik Benson.

The Ducks are also efficient, averaging over seven yards per play during the season. Will James Madison be able to slow down Oregon's complex and versatile offense, or will it be a blowout like Saban predicts?

Oregon and James Madison will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday from Autzen Stadium. The winner advances to face the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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