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Nick Saban asks how many people would have loved to see Cam Ward in CFP

As part of a segment where the ESPN College Gameday analysts picked Miami unanimously over Iowa State in the Pop Tarts Bowl, Nick Saban asked how many people would have loved to see Cam Ward in the College Football Playoff.

ByAlan Rubenstein|
Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Cam Ward finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and won the Davey O'Brien Award as the best quarterback in College Football. As part of a segment picking bowl game winners, Nick Saban asked "How many people would have loved to see Cam Ward play in the playoff?"

Saban called Ward one of the greatest players in college football. Ward is the first Miami consensus All-American quarterback since Gino Torretta won the Heisman Trophy in 1992. Miami wide receiver Xavier Restrepo joined Ward as a consensus All-American and both were first-team All-ACC.

Ward lived up to his billing as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year by earning the honor for the 2024 season. Miami was first nationally averaging 44.2 points per game and 538.3 yards per game and was second posting 359.3 passing yards per game. Ward and Miami would have created a lot of buzz for the College Football Playoff.

After losing at Syracuse in the last game of the regular season, Miami lost a chance to clinch a berth in the ACC Championship game and virtually lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, Miami will play 10-2, 18th-ranked Iowa State in the Pop Tarts Bowl on December 28.

"Look, how many people would have loved to see Cam Ward play in the playoff? One of the greatest players in college football...Yeah, I’m going with Miami all the way.”"
Nick Saban

Ward, Restrepo and other Miami players eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft deciding to play in the bowl game is rare in this era. Most college football fans remember over 20 Florida State players opting out of the bowl game of the 2023 Orange Bowl in a 63-3 loss to Georgia. Miami will attempt to win its first bowl game since 2016.

The Hurricanes enter the Pop-Tarts Bowl with five straight bowl losses and 11 out of its last 12 in the postseason. Miami beat West Virginia 31-14 in the 2016 Cheez-It Bowl in what is now the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Miami lost 31-24 to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl last season in their only postseason game under Mario Cristobal as head coach.

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