ESPN's College GameDay Headed to Baton Rouge for Alabama vs. LSU

Legendary former Alabama head coach turned College GameDay analyst Nick Saban won six National Championships with the Crimson Tide and one with the Tigers.

Nick Saban, Ms. Terry on College GameDay / Obtained from Alabama Athletics

ESPN's weekly College GameDay morning show announced on Saturday that it will be headed to Death Valley in Baton Rouge, La. next week when current-No. 14 Alabama takes on No. 16 LSU in a historic rivalry matchup with College Playoff implications.

WE'RE HEADING TO DEATH VALLEY NEXT WEEK FOR ALABAMA-LSU 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jP8EyAbPYL

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 2, 2024

A bit after his retirement on Jan. 10, legendary former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, who won six National Championships at Alabama, joined ESPN's College GameDay as an analyst.

A few years prior to his 17-year tenure in Tuscaloosa, Saban was the head coach at LSU from 2000-04 and won a National Title in 2003 with the Tigers. In other words, his connection to two of college football's top programs going head-to-head will be must-see TV next Saturday morning starting at 8 a.m. CT on ESPN.

The program, which first aired in 1987, has had a plethora of new faces serve as panelists over the years, and this season's newest addition in Saban has truly made a massive impression on the rest of the group and viewers of the show as well.

"[Saban] has been phenomenal," College GameDay host Rece Davis said on Oct. 15. "The quickness with which he has adapted to television. He's one of the most gifted communicators I've ever been around. He can explain things and grab your attention in psychological football or he's telling you about his business ventures. He can communicate. Everybody knows this and it's why everyone in the world wants him to come and speak."

"But television and fitting into a group is a different dynamic," Davis said. "Usually for most people, I think it almost takes a full season. For him, he's adapted very quickly. He understands the team, he's a great advocate for the show, he comes up with ideas and he's not shy about expressing his opinion yet he is not overbearing. That guy listens to everybody and takes it into consideration. He's been great and I think probably how quickly he's been great has been the only thing that's surprised me."

Next Saturday's game, which will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC, will have College Football Playoff implications, as both teams currently rank outside of the 12-team cut list (which will also include the winners of five conferences) due to them each having two losses.

Following an instant classic victory over then-No. 1 Georgia, Alabama took the top spot in the AP Poll but then immediately fell to Vanderbilt and then Tennessee a couple of weeks later. LSU lost the season opener to USC and then the Tigers crumbled late against then-No. 14 Texas A&M.

That being said, although LSU is home and has perhaps the most chaotic environment in college football, the momentum factor could be on the Crimson Tide's side as Alabama fulfilled a statement 34-0 victory last week against then No. 21 Missouri.