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Todd McShay Doubles Down On National Championship Prediction

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 1:57 PM ET

The College Football Playoff is still two months away, but former ESPN analyst Todd McShay is feeling good about his national championship pick.

Prior to the start of the 2025 season, McShay picked Alabama to win it all. Obviously, he didn't feel too good about his prediction following the team's Week 1 loss to Florida State. The fan base was so frustrated that people were calling for Kalen DeBoer's job.

Alabama has bounced back nicely since its Week 1 loss, defeating four ranked opponents in Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee. Redshirt junior Ty Simpson has been phenomenal, completing 70.2% of his pass attempts for 1,931 yards with 18 touchdowns and just one interception.

Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

As of right now, Alabama is ranked No. 4 in the country just behind Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M.

With Week 9 of the college football season about to begin, McShay made it clear that he's sticking with Alabama as his pick to win the national title.

"Feeling pretty darn good about my preseason CFP championship pick right now… but it’s not like the schedule eases up: four of five upcoming regular-season tilts are challenging — at South Carolina, home vs. LSU and Oklahoma, and at Auburn for Iron Bowl," McShay wrote on X.

Feeling pretty darn good about my preseason CFP championship pick right now… but it’s not like the schedule eases up: four of five upcoming regular-season tilts are challenging — at South Carolina, home vs. LSU and Oklahoma, and at Auburn for Iron Bowl https://t.co/6Dkn9UEQvX
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) October 22, 2025

The road ahead for Alabama.

There's no question Alabama is on track to make the College Football Playoff. However, the program's remaining schedule won't be easy.

Alabama has to face No. 20 LSU and No. 13 Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks in November. Those games will be played at home though, so DeBoer's squad will be favored by a fair margin.

While the final game of the year against Auburn might seem easy on paper, the Iron Bowl can be incredibly unpredictable.

Do you think Alabama will run the table and win it all?

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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