Notre Dame-Ohio State: Guest picker ideas for ‘College GameDay’

It’ll be one of those weekends in South Bend that kids across the Midwest grow up dreaming about. The Irish are at home taking on a marquee opponent in a game big enough to attract ESPN’s “College Gameday.”

You can say what you want about the rest of the show, but one thing they certainly knock out of the park is the picks segment. Lee Corso putting on the headgear is a staple of college football Saturdays; he’ll do so for the 401st time this weekend.

But who will be the celebrity guest picker as the show heads to Notre Dame?

We put together a handful of ideas for the folks at ESPN.

Brady Quinn

Why?

It’ll never happen seeing as Notre Dame’s all-time leader in just about every passing category works the pregame show on Fox, but few are better ambassadors for the University of Notre Dame as a whole than Brady Quinn, who just so happens to be from Dublin, Ohio which is a stone’s throw from Columbus.

Real Life Rudy Ruettiger

Why?

Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is a man that holds a special place in the hearts of the Notre Dame faithful, even if he rubbed some at the university the wrong way. His story was good enough to be made into a memorable movie and believe it or not — that flick turns 30 years old this fall.

Steve Bartman

Why?

Twenty years ago this fall this Notre Dame graduate became a household name in the sports world due to his hand coming in contact with a fly ball during the 2003 NLDS between the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins. He was wrongly shamed by many who blamed him for the loss, and he essentially went into hiding. How sweet would it be to bring him back to the university he graduated from and not make a single reference to what his life was turned upside down for?

Luke Bryan

Why?

There is no reason to put the country music star on the panel, but that hasn’t stop ESPN before. Bryan, a passionate Georgia fan, was the guest-picker when GameDay was at Notre Dame for its opener against Michigan. Maybe the network can go to that well again!

Vince Vaughn

Why?

Vaughn is a self-proclaimed Notre Dame fan who has been seen on the sidelines often over the years. He was the guest picker when Notre Dame hosted the show for the Stanford game in 2012 and who would mind seeing the man who played Jamie O’Hara in “Rudy” on campus again?

Condoleeza Rice

Why?

Few Notre Dame graduates know as much about college football as the former United States Secretary of State. In fact, she has even served on the College Football Playoff committee.

Garth Brooks

Why?

Garth is and will forever be an iconic name, just like Notre Dame football.  He may be an Oklahoma State fan at heart, but Brooks was the first musician to ever host a concert at Notre Dame Stadium. Also, if he were to be there then the nation can make their lame and inaccurate jokes about how both Garth and Notre Dame football haven’t been relevant since 1993.

Jerome Bettis

Why?

There are few bigger personalities to have ever played football at Notre Dame, and there are few that ever played the sport better.  Bettis has an electric personality that would only add to the set as well.

Joe Montana

Why?

Joe Montana has seemingly gotten over whatever bad blood there was between him and Notre Dame during Brian Kelly’s time as head coach. Why not have the greatest NFL player to ever come from Notre Dame be on full display for the game Saturday?

Lou Holtz

Why?

The last coach to win a national championship as the head coach at Notre Dame is getting up there in age, but he would receive the warmest of welcomes imaginable. He has years of experience picking games on TV, and  he’d be reunited with ESPN for a segment. Perhaps they’d even let Mark May back so the former Pitt star could make a fool of himself one more time.

Taylor Swift

Why?

Does the biggest thing going in pop culture really need any explanation as to why? It only helps that her brother graduated from Notre Dame in 2015.

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Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire