Everyone on the ESPN College GameDay crew except former Michigan great Desmond Howard believes in the Oklahoma Sooners against the Auburn Tigers.
The No. 11 Sooners will host No. 22 Auburn at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday for what will be both teams’ SEC opener and former OU quarterback Jackson Arnold’s return to Norman.
Desmond Howard predicts Jackson Arnold and Auburn to upset Oklahoma
Filming from Coral Gables, Florida, ahead of Florida vs. No. 4 Miami, the College GameDay crew picked every ranked vs. ranked matchup throughout the country this week, even though their own game of the week wasn’t.
Celebrity guest picker Matthew Tkachuk, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit, who has doubted the Sooners basically every week, all picked OU to beat Auburn. Howard, though, maybe still salty from the Sooners beating his alma mater when the show was in Norman Week 2, predicted Auburn to upset OU.
“Jackson Arnold wants to go in there and make some noise. I’m going Auburn,” Howard said.
Saban went with the other QB in the matchup — OU’s John Mateer, who’s an early Heisman Trophy frontrunner.
“I think John Mateer is too much for their young defense at Auburn, so I think Oklahoma takes this one,” Saban said.
When College GameDay was in Norman two weeks ago for Oklahoma vs. Michigan, other than guest picker Trae Young, McAfee was the only cast member who was correct in picking a Sooners win. McAfee’s faith in the Sooners has only grown since.
“After going there for GameDay, I’m all in on Oklahoma,” McAfee said. “I think they are a very good. They might be the best team in the country, outside the Miami Hurricanes. I like this Oklahoma team a lot.”
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