Will Oregon vs. Washington be the ESPN ‘College GameDay’ location in Week 7?
We had an idea before the 2023 college football season that this was a possibility. After seeing both teams on the field for a couple of weeks, there was a good feeling this could actually happen.
Now, as the No. 8 Washington Huskies and No. 9 Oregon Ducks get set to square off after the bye week, we can officially ask the question — will Seattle be host to ESPN’s “College GameDay” in Week 7 for this matchup that will likely be one of the biggest games of the year?
It’s a fair question to ask. Neither the Ducks nor the Huskies have been featured on the show yet, but they are both undoubtedly among the best teams in the nation. Let’s take a look at the top marquee games in Week 7 and try to determine where GameDay will land.
No. 7 USC vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
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The Case For: I’m not going to lie: It’s going to be incredibly hard for ESPN to pass on this game. Both Notre Dame and USC are among the biggest brands in all of sports, and both teams could very well be in the top 10 by the time they meet in two weeks. This is undoubtedly the top game other than Oregon-Washington on the slate.
The Case Against: The biggest case against ESPN choosing this game as a site for GameDay is the fact it featured a Notre Dame game in each of the last two weekends. In Week 4, it went to South Bend for the matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame. This past week it was on Duke’s campus to see the Blue Devils take on the Fighting Irish. I find it hard to believe they’d go to a Notre Dame site for the third time in five weeks.
No. 8 Washington vs. No. 9 Oregon
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The Case For: Based on national rankings and overall ramifications for both the Pac-12 Championship and College Football Playoff, there’s a real argument that this is among the most important college football games this season, not just on this week.
The Case Against: I think the No. 1 case against this game not being a site for GameDay is the fact ESPN couldn’t pass on the Notre Dame vs. USC rivalry. Outside of that, though, I don’t see a reason this isn’t the choice.
No. 13 North Carolina vs. No. 17 Miami
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The Case For: The ACC may not be as strong as the Pac-12, but this game between UNC and Miami will likely have some big ramifications in the conference, though both teams are going to have to chase Florida State for the top spot.
The Case Against: While this game might be interesting in a regional context, I don’t know that Drake Maye vs. Tyler Van Dyke will get the same type of draw that Bo Nix and Michael Penix would.
No. 16 Oregon State vs. UCLA
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The Case For: By the time this game rolls around, both teams could very well be 6-1 and ranked inside the top 25 once again. They have great QB stories, and it will be the last time we see them play each other for quite a while.
The Case Against: If the best case for this game is that it’s a top-25 matchup with two good quarterbacks and a potential impact on the Pac-12 race, then there’s no chance it is getting GameDay. It pales in comparison to Oregon-Washington.
No. 18 Tennessee vs. Texas A&M
The Case For: If Texas A&M upsets Alabama this week, it will enter that game against Tennessee as a top-25 team with a 5-1 record. That SEC matchup has the makings of a great GameDay location.
The Case Against: Betting on Texas A&M to do anything of substance on the field, especially with QB Connor Weigman out for the season, doesn’t sound like a smart move in my opinion. Chances are this is a matchup between a 5-1 Tennessee and 3-2 Texas A&M.
Our Final Verdict
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Our Pick: Oregon vs. Washington
I seriously think this is the most reasonable option on the board. While Notre Dame vs. USC will be a great game, and one of the best non-conference games of the entire season, the fact that ESPN has been around the Fighting Irish a lot recently makes me think it will not go back to that well. On top of that reasoning, the fact you get Bo Nix vs. Michael Penix Jr., two of the top passing and scoring offenses in the nation, and a potential preview of the Pac-12 Championship makes this an easy call for me.
Take ESPN “College GameDay” to Seattle; you will not regret it.
