Tag: ESPN College GameDay

ESPN College Gameday/SEC Nation pick Ole Miss over Florida

The ESPN College Gameday and SEC Nation crews praised Billy Napier and the Florida Gators for improving but unanimously picked Ole Miss to win on Saturday.

The ESPN College Gameday and SEC Nation crews unanimously picked Ole Miss to defeat Florida on Saturday.

“I love the job [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has done at Florida. I think he’s done a great job of keeping this team focused through some really difficult circumstances, I just think Ole Miss has got too much firepower for them,” Nick Saban said. “But I think it’s going to be a close game.”

Napier joined the Gameday crew in the 9 o’clock block. He talked [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag]’s positive impact on the younger players and their mentality. Napier also addressed what he believes to be the biggest key to the game.

“You’ve got to survive the script,” Napier said. “It’s important that you’re ready to start fast. You’ve got to get the call in, get our cleats in the ground. We’ve got to get communicated, aligned, play with the right leverage, have good eye discipline. If you can get through the script and settle in, adjust to the tempo, I think it’s important.”

Pat McAfee challenged Billy Napier to a 35-yard throw, where he would donate $1 million to hurricane relief if Napier hit the crossbar. Coach Napier put a good spiral on it but just missed the crossbar. Kirk Herbstreit tried to get a second attempt, but McAfee quickly waved it off after seeing how close Napier was.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin later texted Herbstreit, poking fun at Napier and saying he would have hit the crossbar.

SEC Nation picks Florida-Ole Miss

All four pickers on SEC Nation — former Alabama safety Roman Harper, former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers, Florida legend Tim Tebow and SEC insider Paul Finebaum — picked Ole Miss but agreed that Florida is playing its best football of the season and could keep it close.

“I think Florida is improving,” Tebow said. “I think playing at home is so helpful. I think DJ is on the verge of being a star. I just think this is the right time for Ole Miss. I think they’re peaking. I think they have their best player back (Tre Harris), their front four has been dominating the last few weeks, there healthy. I think it will be close but the Rebels will be good enough.”

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College GameDay Crew picks Texas A&M vs. Auburn

ESPN College GameDay has picked the winner of Texas A&M’s tough road test vs. Auburn

Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) will face one of its toughest SEC environments of the year before taking on the Auburn Tigers (4-6, 1-5 SEC) for a Saturday night showdown with plenty of postseason implications for the Maroon & White.

Throughout the week, the Aggies have been told that this is the “trap game” of all trap games, while some in the media, including two members of ESPN’s College GameDay, have picked the Tigers to win outright.

On Saturday morning, in weekly fashion this season, the GameDay crew, made up of Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, a guest picker, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit, every picker went with the Aggies, except for Davis and Herbstreit.

While Rece Davis does not have an official pick, he agrees with Herbstreit, who believes that Auburn’s 4-6 record is somewhat mystifying, comprised of close losses that could have resulted in three or more wins.

However, Herstreit’s previous high praise of Texas A&M starting QB Marcel Reed’s dual-threat skillset will need to be considered. Just Remember that the legendary CFP analyst picked the Aggies to defeat Florida on the road in Reed’s first career start, a game that A&M won 33-20 earlier this season.

Texas A&M will face Auburn on the road on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN.

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Ohio State football legend, Justin Fields announced as ESPN College GameDay guest picker

Ohio State football legend, Justin Fields announced as College Gameday guest picker #GoBucks

Ohio State football will have the opportunity to play in its third top five match-up of the season against the Indiana Hoosiers and this game is receiving some insane hype. Come Saturday, Columbus, Ohio, will be hosting Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff as well as ESPN’s College GameDay.

ESPN recently announced its guest picker for the pregame show and former Ohio State quarterback, Justin Fields, will be joining the crew. The show typically either gets celebrity or professional athlete alumni and the Fields pick makes perfect sense considering his current team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have already played on Thursday night.

The former All-American will join C.J. Stroud, who was a guest in 2023, A.J. Hawk in 2022, Eddie George in 2019 and 2017, Orlando Pace in 2016, Archie Griffin in 2015, and Santonio Holmes in 2009, as the only former Ohio State football players who were guest pickers.

For those heading to the game the College GameDay set will be near St. John Arena and the Big Noon Kickoff set will be near the RPAC.

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Where is ESPN’s College GameDay in Week 13 of the 2024 season? Here’s the answer.

Where is GameDay in Week 13 of 2024? Here’s the answer.

If you’re a college football fan, of course you’re aware that every Saturday morning is a big deal: that’s because you’re sitting down to watch ESPN’s College GameDay as you get ready for that day’s games.

It’s always fun to see where the show travels to during the season, with rabid fanbases designing wild signs to root on their team and troll others, and to see who Lee Corso will pick with which headgear to put on if he’s there.

If you’re here, you’re probably wondering: Where is GameDay this week in 2024?

With Week 12 kicking off on Saturday, the show will be in Columbus, Ohio for Ohio State and Indiana, a matchup of two top-5 teams — the Hoosiers are No. 5 in the nation and the Buckeyes are No. 2.

Enjoy!

DIVE DEEPER INTO FOR THE WIN: Start your day with The Morning Win newsletter for columns, insights and irreverent musings from the world of sports and pop culture

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch College GameDay with a Fubo FREE trial” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/stream/tv/?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=FTW&subId3=2024″]

Here are other questions we can answer:

Will Lee Corso be at College GameDay on Saturday?

We’re not sure yet.

Who will be the guest picker this week on College GameDay?

No word yet!

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Why Keanu Reeves would be the perfect guest picker for Ohio State vs. Indiana

ESPN’s College Gameday will have an array of options for their guest picker for Ohio State-Indiana. Here’s why it should be Keanu Reeves.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been rolling this season, and they are surging as the Indiana Hoosiers come to town.

The Hoosiers rank 5th in the country, and while their strength of schedule has been heavily criticized, they have still come out on top in every game. Regardless of your opponent, that’s impressive.

Ohio State will remain at No. 2 as the new polls are released.

Given this will be No. 5 vs. No. 2, ESPN’s College Gameday, which is a popular college football show that visits the campus hosting a high-profile college game that week, will be in Columbus.

Part of the show is where they pick the winner of the game they are previewing, which will be Ohio State vs. Indiana. They have a guest picker as well which is typically a celebrity.

Keanu Reeves, one of the world’s most popular actors, could be a fun selection. When breaking down a list of the prospects that Gameday could choose from, The Columbus Dispatch named Reeves among the many other options.

Why? Well, he’s been an Ohio State quarterback before. “Reeves did not attend OSU but was a quarterback for the Buckeyes in two movies: Point Break and The Replacements,” Ehsan Kassim wrote.

Reeves is an ultra-popular personality and has played an Ohio State quarterback in hit movies.

While there are numerous other options as well, that seems like the perfect combination, and he certainly is a person who would bring the energy to the crowd as well.

Where is ESPN’s College GameDay in Week 12 of the 2024 season? Here’s the answer.

Where is GameDay in Week 12 of 2024? Here’s the answer.

If you’re a college football fan, of course you’re aware that every Saturday morning is a big deal: that’s because you’re sitting down to watch ESPN’s College GameDay as you get ready for that day’s games.

It’s always fun to see where the show travels to during the season, with rabid fanbases designing wild signs to root on their team and troll others, and to see who Lee Corso will pick with which headgear to put on if he’s there.

If you’re here, you’re probably wondering: Where is GameDay this week in 2024?

With Week 12 kicking off on Saturday, the show will be in Athens, Georgia for Tennessee and Georgia , a matchup of two top-12 teams — The Bulldogs are No. 12 in the nation and the Volunteers are No. 7.

Enjoy!

DIVE DEEPER INTO FOR THE WIN: Start your day with The Morning Win newsletter for columns, insights and irreverent musings from the world of sports and pop culture

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch College GameDay with a Fubo FREE trial” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/stream/tv/?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=FTW&subId3=2024″]

Here are other questions we can answer:

Will Lee Corso be at College GameDay on Saturday?

We’re not sure yet.

Who will be the guest picker this week on College GameDay?

Cody Rhodes!

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

‘College GameDay’ announces Week 12 location

Where will Nick Saban and College GameDay be this Saturday, Nov. 16? Here’s what to know.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” announced where it will be for Week 12 of the 2024 college football season.

For the second straight week and the seventh time this season, the “GameDay” crew is heading to an SEC venue. Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and, yes, Nick Saban, will be at Sanford Stadium in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs’ showdown with the Tennessee Volunteers.

According to ESPN, it will be the 10th time Athens will host “College GameDay.” Kickoff for Tennessee-Georgia is set for a prime time 6:30 p.m. CT start. The game will be televised on ABC.

Tennessee (8-1) is ranked No. 4 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll after beating Mississippi State 33-14 in Week 11. The Vols are No. 7 in the updated College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings that were released Tuesday.

Georgia (7-2) is No. 10 in the Coaches Poll and slid all the way from No. 2 to No. 12 in the committee’s rankings after its 28-10 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.

RELATED: New College Football Playoff bracket looks radically different after updated CFP rankings

For Saban, it will mark his first visit to Sanford Stadium since Alabama’s 38-10 rout of the Bulldogs on Oct. 3, 2015. Derrick Henry rushed for 148 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown run, in that game as part of his Heisman Trophy winning senior season.

The Crimson Tide’s defense forced four turnovers, including a 50-yard Eddie Jackson pick six to start the second half and extend Alabama’s lead to 31-3 in that game. Minkah Fitzpatrick scored a touchdown on special teams by blocking a punt and scooping it at the Georgia 1-yard line for an easy score.

Georgia had been favored to win, one of the few times during Saban’s dynasty at Alabama in which the Crimson Tide were listed as underdogs by oddsmakers.

Who does Alabama football play in Week 12?

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2) will host the Mercer Bears (9-1) in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 9 in this week’s polls and No. 10 in the playoff committee rankings after their 42-13 win over the LSU Tigers,  Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.

Mercer (9-1 overall) is atop the Southern Conference standings and is ranked No. 9 in this week’s AFCA NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Football Rankings. The Bears defeated VMI, 34-0, last Saturday.

Pat McAfee hypes up Ohio State QB Will Howard on ESPN’s College Gameday

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been led by Will Howard, and so far this season, Pat McAfee likes what he sees from the quarterback.

The Ohio State Buckeyes saw Kyle McCord start last season, and after Marvin Harrison Jr. left for the NFL and McCord transferred to Syracuse, the Buckeyes were left looking for options.

That’s where you insert Will Howard, a Kansas State transfer who spent four years with the Wildcats.

Howard ended last season with 24 touchdowns and 2,643 passing yards. He was impressive, and he’s mimicked those performances with the Buckeyes in his first and final season in Columbus.

While Howard did have a questionable decision against Oregon, he has, for most of the season, played at a high level and has a Big Ten-high 19 touchdowns (technically tied with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel).

On ESPN’s College Gameday, Pat McAfee praised Howard, also commenting on his ability to hurt defenses on the ground. Overall, McAfee seemed to think Howard has what it takes to have the Buckeyes in National Championship contention.

McAfee has had some hot takes throughout the years, but this one is correct. Howard is a proven veteran quarterback that plays clean football and doesn’t turn the ball over often.

That’s what you need when playing against competent opponents that also make few critical mistakes He should be able to keep this Ohio State football team playing at an elite level throughout the remainder of the season.

Nick Saban weighs in on Florida Gators’ controversial decision to retain coach Billy Napier

Nick Saban sounds off on the Florida Gators’ controversial decision to retain head coach Billy Napier.

The University of Florida made a controversial decision this week when the school announced that head football coach Billy Napier would return for a fourth season in 2025 to lead the Gators.

Napier is in his third year in “The Swamp” and has compiled an overall record of 15-18 as Florida Gators coach. The Gators are 4-4 this year, but they’ve faced arguably the single toughest schedule for any Power Four team in all of college football.

On Saturday’s Week 11 edition of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” former Alabama football coach Nick Saban offered some words of support for his former assistant coach.

Speaking live from Baton Rouge where Saban and the “GameDay” crew are stationed for tonight’s massive Alabama vs. LSU showdown, Saban backed Florida’s decision to retain Napier:

“Here’s the thing that I really appreciate, that somebody out there in Florida’s administration recognized the fact that Billy Napier has done a heck of a job coaching this team. They’ve had a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot to overcome. But yet every game, they start out and they play great in the first half, which tells me that they’ve done a great job of preparing their team with the players that they have. The quarterback situation is going to be tough to overcome, but I think he’s built a good nucleus and most importantly… a culture that can win. And if I was a recruit, I would recognize that and say, ‘This is a place I’m going to consider.'”

Napier was a member of Saban’s staff at Alabama from 2013-16 when he was the Crimson Tide’s wide receivers coach. In December 2017, Napier became head coach at the University of Louisiana and would compile a 40-12 record in four seasons in Lafayette before accepting the Florida job.

Napier’s Gators are in Austin Saturday to face the No. 5 Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Nick Saban hints Ohio State football may be better off missing Big Ten Championship Game

While Ohio State football fans will always want to see it win, Nick Saban on College Gameday suggested otherwise. Is he wrong?

ESPN College Gameday is live in Baton Rouge and is previewing the LSU-Alabama battle.

As it typical, they shuffled through the top teams in the country, and Ohio State football was named, sitting No. 3 in the Coaches Poll yet No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

In looking at the Buckeyes, who are coming off their most impressive win of the season, former Alabama head coach and one of the best to ever do it, Nick Saban, spoke on Ohio State and how it might be a disadvantage to play in the Big Ten Championship Game.

“Sometimes it may be an advantage not to play in the championship game,” Saban said following the show highlighting just how impressive the Buckeyes were against the Nittany Lions. He was talking about the conference championship game.

His rationale was simple: multiple top teams in the nation will miss that game and keep being able to practice and focus on the CFP, should they make it. The other will have arguably their most important game of the season prior to that and have its momentum ripped from under it if it lost and then potentially more banged up or tired even if it wins.

He also spoke to what that type of win at Beaver Stadium can do for a team.

The Buckeyes are on a crash course to get a rematch with the Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Championship Game, should they win their remaining three against Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern.

That said, Saban makes a good point, although most would generally disagree with him on the matter.