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All dynasties come to an end. None escape the inexorable passage of time. A good example of this is Dave Portnoy’s favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots. They look a shadow of their former selves now under Bill Belichick. With Tom Brady in their ranks, they won six Super Bowls. Following his departure, they reached the playoffs once. Portnoy predicted a similar fate for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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Saban and Alabama await Dave Portnoy’s alma mater, the University of Michigan, in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines come into this fixture 13-0 and as Big Ten Conference champions. Saban’s team lost just once and are also the Southeastern Conference champions at the expense of the Georgia Bulldogs.

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“Adios, Crimson Tide,” per Dave Portnoy

Dave Portnoy took to X to predict the end of the Crimson Tide dynasty. He attached a screenshot of the score of Tom Brady’s last playoff appearance in a Patriots jersey. It ended 20-13 in favor of the Tennessee Titans. Portnoy wrote, “Alabama reminds me of this. Tail end of dynasty. Somebody has to end it. It will be Michigan. It’s poetic, actually. The face of college football putting the final dagger in the great Crimson Tide.”

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It is far from the first time someone has predicted the demise of the Crimson Tide. Their last national championship came in 2020, their seventh under Saban’s stewardship. They beat the Bulldogs, back-to-back national champions for the past two seasons, 27-24 to book a showdown with Michigan. The Bulldogs were the highest-ranked team in the nation then. That is true for the Wolverines ahead of this fixture, too.

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Top-ranked Michigan favorites against Alabama

Dave Portnoy banks on the Wolverines to beat the Crimson Tide. He announced, after a short-lived hiatus from gambling, that he would bet a million dollars on Michigan’s success. Of course, coach Jim Harbaugh’s record in the post-season is far from confidence-inspiring. At Michigan, he is 1-6 in the Bowls and 2-7 overall at that level.

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While not yet cleared of a longstanding NCAA investigation, Michigan remains a fearsome proposition for any team on the field. Blake Corum has 24 rushing touchdowns, five more than quarterback and Heisman candidate J.J. McCarthy. Dave Portnoy has faith in his team. He backed them to push the final nail into the coffin designated for Nick Saban’s team. It remains to be seen if that is indeed the case or if Alabama rose from the dead.

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Anirudh Haridas

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I am Anirudh Haridas and I am a US Sports Writer at EssentiallySports. As a stalwart ice hockey fan, I delved into the US Sports arena, driven by the phenomenal pace of the sport. From creating insights on various Olympic avenues like surfing and swimming to covering stories around equestrian and rodeo sports, I bring versatility to my writing. Along with this, as an ardent soccer fan, and I closely follow Spanish football icon Andres Iniesta. When I am not writing about all things sports, I keep myself intrigued by fixing puzzles and putting my thoughts into poetry.

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Bhujaya Ray Chowdhury

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