Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit agree on ACC championship finalists

Two blue-chip voices circle Miami and Georgia Tech as ACC pace-setters

ESPN College GameDay co-hosts Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit both picked Georgia Tech and Miami to meet in the ACC championship this season. | Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The rarest thing on ESPN’s flagship pregame show is a clean consensus, and that is exactly what came when Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit sized up the ACC race on Saturday’s College GameDay. Asked by Desmond Howard who could emerge, both analysts landed on the same pairing for Charlotte's ACC Championship game.

They see Miami, now rolling behind an elite quarterback and a defense that stacks three-and-outs, and Georgia Tech, a program that keeps stacking résumé wins and looks increasingly comfortable in big moments.

Saban’s approval carried weight. The former Alabama coach did not hedge, noting the way the Yellow Jackets keep beating teams they are not expected to beat. Herbstreit nodded toward the same trajectory, leaning Miami-Georgia Tech as his early title matchup.

That alignment from two of the sport’s most trusted voices elevated a storyline that had been bubbling for weeks, putting the Hurricanes and Yellow Jackets at the center of the ACC conversation as league play deepens.

Saban And Herbstreit Align On Miami And Georgia Tech For Charlotte

The on-air exchange was brief, but the implications were clear. When Saban and Herbstreit converge, it signals more than a hot take. It affirms what the metrics and recent results suggest about both contenders. Miami’s profile looks built for November, with a top-five ranking, first-place votes in the AP Top 25 for the first time in nearly eight years, and a Carson Beck-led offense completing 79.3 percent of its passes.

Mario Cristobal publicly resisted any hint of complacency, crediting Florida’s talent, size, and defensive form, a smart message for a locker room preparing for another rivalry stage. The series trends also frame Miami’s path. The Hurricanes have won six straight against in-state opponents, and they are 22-3 in this rivalry when they score at least 17 points, a low bar for a team that has produced 692 points since the start of 2024 and a nation-leading 7.49 yards per play across that span.

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) and running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) are one of the best QB-RB duos in the country. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech’s case is different but persuasive. The Yellow Jackets just clipped Clemson 24-21, a result that reads like a growth marker. Haynes King managed the game, rushing for 103 yards with a score and avoiding turnovers —a blueprint that travels.

Across three games, the offense sits at 500.3 yards per game, with 230 on the ground and 36.7 points on the scoreboard. That balance, paired with a defense giving up 17.7 points per game, is enough to win if situational football holds.

What Georgia Tech Must Handle Against Temple And What Miami Faces Next

The immediate test is not a trap so much as a discipline check. No. 18 Georgia Tech is favored by 24 against Temple, yet the Owls bring traits that punish sloppy execution. Temple ranks 27th nationally on third down at 50 percent, owns a top-16 turnover margin at plus-4, and has finished every red zone trip. Those are stress points for a Georgia Tech defense allowing 37.2 percent on third down and a team sitting at minus-2 in turnovers.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) and head coach Brent Key are off to a 3-0 start in the 2025 season. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Keep Evan Simon from getting comfortable, win the field position battle, and the Yellow Jackets’ 230 yards per game on the ground should tilt possession and clock in their favor. Team leaders matter here. King’s 259 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Eric Rivers’ efficiency on the perimeter, and a front seven that must close rush lanes on scheduled downs all tie back to protecting a championship arc through September.

Miami’s runway is tougher in name value, but the frame is the same. The Hurricanes trust Beck’s precision and a wide zone run game to force Florida into longer fields, while Florida leans on a defense that has allowed 20 or fewer points in seven straight. DJ Lagway’s efficiency, even after a rough outing, remains notable at a 71 percent completion rate, and volume is there with 71 completions, but Miami’s recent dominance in the rivalry and its explosive profile place pressure on Florida to string drives without mistakes. Put together, that is what made Saban and Herbstreit’s shared projection resonate. It reflects not hype, but two teams repeatedly meeting the moment.

Georgia Tech hosts Temple on Friday at 4:30 p.m. EDT on The CW, and Miami welcomes Florida on Saturday night.