Danny Sheridan picks Georgia - not Alabama - to win CFP title, predicts Auburn to win nine or more

Gus Malzahn end of fall camp 2019

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn gives situational instruction during practice Sunday. Auburn football practice on Sunday, August 18, 2019 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Danny Sheridan placed a “charity" bet - prior to last season - on Clemson to win the CFP national title.

As you may recall, it worked out for Dabo Swinney's Tigers.

This year, the oddsmaker placed a similar bet on the Georgia Bulldogs.

Sheridan was a guest on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, via a taped interview, to explain the reasons why Kirby Smart will lift the trophy at the end of the season and why he’s taking the over on Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers.

“I like Georgia to win the national championship,” Sheridan said. “I think they are better than Alabama, on paper, and probably better than Clemson.”

His reason is recruiting, citing the four quality classes compiled by Smart coupled with the talent in Athens when the former Alabama defensive coordinator got to campus.

“He inherited a good team,” Sheridan said. “(Alabama coach Nick) Saban inherited absolute crap. It took him three years to win a national championship.”

Sheridan was high on the Bulldogs last year, reminding people this week Georgia should’ve been in the CFP last season.

“Keeping Georgia out last year was the biggest (college football) travesty in my life next to Peyton Manning not winning the Heisman after coming back for his fourth year in 1998.”

Sheridan stated power rankings, used by Las Vegas and offshore companies, had Georgia as “superior to every team in the college playoffs. They were tied with Alabama and a notch under Clemson. And, they don’t get to go because it’s two SEC teams. Bias.”

Georgia isn’t the only team Sheridan is betting on this season. He has Auburn over 8 for the regular season.

The Tigers, who just named Bo Nix the starting quarterback, had the over/under set at anywhere from 8 to 8.5 regular-season games earlier this year.

'Every year, I say they are going to lose three or four games," Sheridan explained. "Malzahn has had five horrible years. He’s an 8-5 coach. But, he will win every six years. This is his sixth year.

“I think Auburn will have a great year. I don’t care they are an underdog five times. I believe they are loaded at every position. What they need is a (former Alabama quarterback) AJ McCarron, a game manager. Nothing more.”

He pointed to “the best defensive line in the country” and “one of the best defenses in the country” he calls better than Alabama. Add that to an experienced offensive line, and Sheridan says, “they just need someone to put it together.”

“I’d be surprised if Auburn doesn’t beat Oregon, if they don’t upset LSU and upset if they don’t beat Florida,” Sheridan said. “They are capable of upsetting Alabama or Georgia.”

Texas A&M, he explained, is a revenge game for the Aggies, so he isn’t ready to give Auburn the nod against Jimbo Fisher yet.

“I’m in the minority,” he said. “I think they are going to win 9, 10 or 11 games.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

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