- College football’s premier pregame show travels to one of the marquee matchups of the season – No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State
- Special guests to include rapper Jack Harlow, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, members of the Buckeyes’ 2002 National Championship team, and more
College GameDay is making its 21st appearance at Ohio State – more than any other school, and Saturday marks the 423rd road show for the premier college football pregame program.
Host Rece Davis returns to the helm, joined at the desk by GameDay analysts Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and David Pollack and reporters Jen Lada, Gene Wojciechowski and newcomer Jess Sims. Senior research producer Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica and college football insider Pete Thamel round out the GameDay crew for the season.
The show airs ahead of a full slate of action across ESPN networks, beginning at noon. Herbstreit will join Chris Fowler and Holly Rowe for the call of ABC’s Saturday Night Football between the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Special GameDay Guests – Jack Harlow, Ryan Day and Reunion of Buckeyes’ 2002 National Champions
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day will join the crew as a guest along with members of the 2002 national championship Buckeye team including then-head coach Jim Tressel, OSU tailback Maurice Clarett and Buckeye safety Mike Doss, among others, for the 20th anniversary of their 14-0 season and consensus national championship year.
The storied Ohio State Marching Band will also make an appearance on the show along with Buckeyes’ mascot Brutus.
Additional guests will be announced ahead of Saturday’s show on ESPN PR’s Twitter and College GameDay’s Twitter.
Features & Highlights
- The Script – For Spencer Webb, life didn’t follow the storybook script. But he was able to overcome the challenges he faced at an early age and fulfill a lifelong dream to become an Oregon Duck. In the process, Webb left an impression on everyone he met – one that will live on in Eugene even after his tragic death in July. (Jen Lada)
- The Rise of Marcus Freeman – Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman’s rapid ascension to one of the most high-profile coaching jobs in the profession stems from his diverse upbringing as the son of a United States Air Force Veteran and a Korean mother. The 36-year-old father of six children prepares for an opening game in a place he knows very well – his alma mater Ohio State. (Pete Thamel)
- Jim Harbaugh Conversation – Gene Wojciechowski catches up with the Michigan Head Coach to talk about his eventful offseason, his flirtation with the NFL, what it meant to finally beat Ohio State and why his team can win a championship this year. (Gene Wojciechowski)
- The State of The Game – As we celebrate the return of college football and the pageantry and tradition that has always come with that, Wright Thompson reflects on the evolution of the sport we love and the changes that may test that devotion. (Wright Thompson)
- Ohio State junior OT Paris Johnson Jr. takes us behind the scenes with a GameDay video blog sharing the player perspective throughout the week
Corso’s Count
- Saturday’s GameDay will mark Lee Corso’s 384th headgear pick since he started the tradition by donning Brutus in Columbus with his very first headgear pick on Oct. 5, 1996
- Corso has picked the Buckeye headgear a record 35 times and is 24-11 when choosing Ohio State
- Corso has chosen Notre Dame headgear 12 times and he is 8-4 with the Fighting Irish picks
ESPN’s Expanded Digital Coverage
ESPN’s social and digital pre-pregame show, Countdown to GameDay Live, returns every Saturday this fall. Co-hosts Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr. will be live from Columbus on Sept. 3 at 8:30 a.m. ET. The show is available across Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the ESPN App.
Additional details, including updated releases throughout the week, can be found HERE.
For onsite information, please visit College GameDay’s Hub HERE.
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