LSUDad Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 Predicting College GameDay locations for 2019 season ByBRAD CRAWFORD 5 hours ago Share 16 Comments There's something about ESPN's College GameDay coming to your city that spikes the intrigue a bit on Saturdays in the fall. Everyone's favorite pre-game show which Kirk Herbstreit once called "three hours of controlled chaos" has enlightened audiences for more than two decades, an early glimpse at the weekend's big games with analysis and predictions for each. It wouldn't be college football season without GameDay and its presence is always welcomed. For a show that's rarely scripted, there's no set plan for locations every fall, something that adds to the excitement a bit, GameDay senior coordinating producer Lee Fitting once said. GameDay rarely passes on an opportunity to broadcast from the weekend's most sizable matchup and we've peeked at the 2019 slate hoping to determine where the traveling road show may set up shop next. With next season's schedule in mind, here's where we think College GameDay will land each week: WEEK 1: OREGON VS. AUBURN (ARLINGTON) (Photo: © Stan Szeto , USA TODAY Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: ESPN is going to choose one of the non-conference Power 5 season-opening matchups in this slot, but which one? This one from AT&T Stadium in Arlington should be the most competitive. Other kickoff games highlighting the docket include Miami vs. Florida in Orlando and Duke vs. Alabama in Atlanta. The stage is set for the Pac-12 by the way, which badly needs a marquee win nationally to regain some of its footing. WEEK 2: LSU AT TEXAS (Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: We have a feeling, at some point next season, the Longhorns will host GameDay for the first time in more than a decade and this seems to be the most likely option featuring a battle of Top 15s (projected). It would be hard to bet against Tom Herman in this spot and the atmosphere in Austin on gameday should be electric. If you're ESPN, you can't pass up this opportunity. Another game to keep an eye on in Week 2 is Texas A&M's trip to defending national champion Clemson. WEEK 3: OKLAHOMA AT UCLA (Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty) Why this is a good option for GameDay: There's not a ton of quality games to savor in Week 3, but if Chip Kelly's Bruins come out of the gates 2-0, here's a tilt that falls right into GameDay's lap out West. How bad would Kelly like to have Jalen Hurts running his offense right now? Other possibilities include Pittsburgh at Penn State and UCF's home battle vs. Stanford. Do viewers still care about the Knights after their nation-leading winning streak was snapped by LSU? GameDay did seem to enjoy its first trip to Orlando last season. WEEK 4: NOTRE DAME AT GEORGIA (Photo: Scott Cunningham, Getty) Why this is a good option for GameDay: Georgia fans are already prepping for Notre Dame's trip between the hedges and I bet ESPN producers are as well. Here's two bluebloods, both likely unbeaten through the first three weeks, meeting with potential Playoff implications later in the season. Viewership for this game should lead the weekend, so ESPN skipping this one at Sanford Stadium is a bad idea. Believe it or not, Georgia hasn't hosted GameDay since the 2013 season. WEEK 5: OHIO STATE AT NEBRASKA (Photo: Bruce Thorson, USA TODAY Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: One of our boldest predictions for the 2019 season, Nebraska will host GameDay in Week 5 for the first time since 2007. It would likely mean a 4-0 start for the Huskers, who just announced they have sold every ticket to the upcoming spring game for the second consecutive season. Justin Fields vs. Adrian Martinez? Sign us up for a possible early-season Heisman preview. WEEK 6: AUBURN AT FLORIDA (Photo: Davey Miller) Why this is a good option for GameDay: We're big-time believers in the GayTurds next season, so this is a game that's circled. Sandwiched between Ohio State-Nebraska and a potential Big 12 showdown the following week, this is the perfect spot for GameDay's first all-SEC matchup of the season. You've got to take that into consideration when projecting host sites. Rarely do the powers that be at ESPN feature the same team — nor conferences — in consecutive weeks. Florida-Auburn will have plenty of storylines. WEEK 7: OKLAHOMA VS. TEXAS (DALLAS) (Photo: © Ronald Martinez, Getty) Why this is a good option for GameDay: This Big 12 showdown has been featured several times on GameDay as has another matchup during this same weekend — Alabama vs. Texas A&M. We haven't mentioned the Crimson Tide yet in our projections, but they're coming. This might be the spot unless the Longhorns and Sooners are unbeaten heading into Dallas, both ranked inside the Top 10. It would be the rubber match, after the rivals split last season's meetings. Week 7 is extremely difficult to project with USC at Notre Dame and Florida at LSU as possible picks, too. WEEK 8: OREGON AT WASHINGTON (Photo: M. Samek, 247Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: The Pac-12's featured Game of the Year next fall, these two teams (and Utah) are the biggest Playoff threats out West. Washington's expectations, at least nationally, will be scaled back a bit despite winning the conference last season. Jacob Eason, pictured, takes over at quarterback and the Huskies must also replace Myles Gaskin, who posted four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, in the backfield. Meanwhile, Oregon should come into this one knowing exactly what it needs to stay alive in the postseason race. WEEK 9: NOTRE DAME AT MICHIGAN (Photo: Matt Cashore, 247Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: Brian Kelly vs. Jim Harbaugh should attract a sizable audience and gives GameDay a chance to get back to Ann Arbor. It'll be interesting to see where both programs are by this point, approaching the stretch run to end the regular season. Auburn's trip to Baton Rouge is another possibility, but unlikely with Alabama-LSU the following week. WEEK 10: LSU AT ALABAMA (Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: America might be tired of this game, but viewers in the South beg to differ. Last season, GameDay went to Jacksonville in this spot for Florida-Georgia, so switching locales for another SEC city during a prime viewing weekend in November seems plausible. LSU-Alabama is almost here by default. The rest of the national slate in Week 10 leaves a lot to be desired outside of Iowa State at Oklahoma. WEEK 11: GEORGIA AT AUBURN (Photo: USA TODAY Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: Your guess is as good as ours here. If Auburn and Georgia are both in the Playoff race and nationally-ranked, it's possible GameDay heads to the Plains for this one. There's several other appetizing games with an argument to host, however — Texas at Iowa State, Alabama at Mississippi State, Stanford at Washington State and Penn State at Ohio State. The Longhorns' trip to Ames is intriguing considering Iowa State has never hosted GameDay. By our account, Iowa State is one of 11 P5 programs who haven't. WEEK 12: SOUTH DAKOTA AT NORTH DAKOTA ST. (Photo: 247Sports) Why this is a good option for GameDay: Remember the time Desmond, Kirk and the crew went to NYC? That was weird. And much of it was due to lack of marquee games that weekend. Here's the opportunity to get weird during the 2019 season. Creampuff weekend in the SEC and very little drama elsewhere leads to slim pickings. We'll go off the wall and say the crew heads back to Fargo, one of their favorite spots, according to the on-air analysts. WEEK 13: OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN Shea Patterson (Photo: Gregory Shamus, Getty) Why this is a good option for GameDay: It's hard to shake the possibility of GameDay returning for The Game unless the Buckeyes and Wolverines are mired in disappointing seasons. The Iron Bowl comes this weekend in addition to other probable nationally-ranked rivalries across the country. Michigan-Ohio State rocked GameDay from Columbus last season and we're sure Wolverines fans would be more than happy to host for a second time in 2019. WEEK 14: THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP Nick Saban (Photo: Stacy Revere, Getty) 16COMMENTS Why this is a good option for GameDay: Which P5 conference championship game will off the most intrigue? Georgia-Alabama, again, should determine a Playoff spot for two projected division winners and, of course, Texas-Oklahoma will garner an audience in the Big 12 (should it happen). One elite we haven't included yet is Clemson and it's hard to imagine GameDay skipping over the defending national champions who could repeat in 2019 with a bevy of high-profile players. As long as the Tigers aren't 28.5-point favorites again in the ACC Championship Game, GameDay could follow Dabo Swinney's team here. 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