One of the marquee games of the season has drawn a prediction from one of the top analysts in college football.

SEC on CBS analyst Gary Danielson was a recent guest on The Opening Drive on WJOX in Birmingham in a wide-ranging interview about the state of the conference, especially about new coordinators and quarterbacks, and what the season will be like without long-time partner Verne Lundquist.

Danielson said he was surprised he got so emotional last season as Lundquist received parting gifts across the league in his final season calling college football for CBS. Danielson called new partner Brad Nessler “one of the great ones” in all of college football and the pros.

Danielson gave Alabama a narrow edge in the season opener against Florida State because of Nick Saban and the program’s experience in early-season games. Danielson also said Alabama would get back to running the ball when it has to run the ball, which was something it couldn’t do last season.

For what it’s worth, Alabama is listed as a seven-point favorite by Vegas consensus, according to vegasinsider.com, after the Crimson Tide opened as a 5.5-point favorite.

The SEC on CBS opens the season with TCU at Arkansas on Sept. 9, and then will have Tennessee at Florida on Sept. 16.