ESPN invaded Tuscaloosa recently, and the college football world ascended on one of the country’s biggest programs.

And with it, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit speculated on where Nick Saban would land next, and it wasn’t the NFL or Texas, according to AL.com’s interview with Herbstreit.

“Nick Saban will be on the set with us before he’s a coach in the NFL,” said Herbstreit. “I really believe that after he’s done at Alabama, whenever that time is, whether it’s a year, five years, whatever it is, I really believe there’s an itch there about becoming an analyst.

“…He’s really attacking it and pursuing it as if he is studying and working as a football coach. I think the idea of learning a new craft is something different is very intriguing. He’s not just mailing it in by any stretch of the imagination. He really works at it and prepares. It’s not just the football part of it, but the TV part of it he’s enjoyed preparing (for) and trying to learn more about.”

Saban worked the BCS National Championship Game featuring Auburn and Florida State, along with others, and he did a great job as an analyst.

College GameDay producer Lee Fitting also talked about Saban’s impressive skills on set.

“On camera, he’s a magnet,” said Fitting. “He’s got a great way of expressing the game of football that hits both the hardcore fan and the casual fan by the way in which he explains it.”

So, while others like to speculate on when Saban leaves Alabama for another program or the NFL, Herbstreit is putting his money on Saban becoming an analyst.

Could you see Saban on the set of College GameDay every Saturday? It would certainly make for interesting segments and discussion.