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Nick Saban Predicts Winner of Texas-Florida Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 12:29 PM ET

Nick Saban and the ESPN "College GameDay" crew revealed their predictions for some of college football's biggest Week 6 matchups.

That includes an intriguing SEC matchup between the No. 9 Texas Longhorns (3-1) and the unranked Florida Gators (1-3, 0-1 SEC). It's the Longhorns' first conference matchup of the year and the Gators' second.

Despite Texas appearing to be the superior team, it will encounter a hostile sold out crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. The Longhorns' only wins came against the San Jose State Spartans, UTEP Miners and Sam Houston Bearkats.

When the time came, though, Saban had no problem choosing which team he believes will come out on top.

ESPN "College GameDay" analyst Nick Saban.© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"I'm taking Texas, you know, I've got a lot of faith in Sark [head coach Steve Sarkisian] being able to improve his team and improve his quarterback," Saban said. "They've got a good defense, I'm taking Texas."

However, not everyone agreed with the seven-time national champion. Analyst Desmond Howard and guest picker Theo Von both chose Florida. Fellow analyst Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit sided with Saban.

Going into this game, a win would mean very different things for each team. In the case of Texas, it would be another stepping stone in its quest for an SEC title and national championship.

For Florida, it could give head coach Billy Napier a bit of breathing room as he's firmly on the hot seat amid a disastrous start, though even a bowl game appearance may be a stretch at this point.

Of course, Saban spent 22 years as a head coach in the SEC, 17 with Alabama and five with LSU, so he's extremely familiar with how competitive this conference is. It gives him the ability to provide a unique insight when two SEC teams face off.

ESPN BET agrees that Texas should come out on top, placing the Longhorns as 4.5-point favorites. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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