The final few minutes of ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday went off-the-rails crazy.
The show is famously unpredictable, known for moments such as the bizarre segment last year in which a fan got Lee Corso’s autograph tattooed on his leg before a game.
If you like zany and unpredictable moments, GameDay delivered Saturday in College Station, Texas. There, the cast previewed No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M. The final couple of minutes were full of surreal images.
Pat McAfee started things by unexpectedly ripping off his shirt and jacket like the Incredible Hulk, as the crowd erupted behind him.
McAfee turned to GameDay guest picker and Aggies’ legend Johnny Manziel, obviously expecting him to follow his lead.
“You’re not going to get the shirt off of me today,” Manziel vowed.
Both McAfee and Manziel picked the Aggies to win.
Host Rece Davis spoke up: “We can’t start the season until Lee Corso does the headgear pick. Where’s LC?”
The show cut to Corso walking on the set wearing a leprechaun suit, picking the Fighting Irish. As Corso and a dancing leprechaun danced in front of the set, Davis turned to Nick Saban, the former Alabama coach who’s now a regular on GameDay.
“We told you it would be different once you got here, didn’t we, Nick?” Davis told Saban.
“I never knew any of this,” Saban said, as a shirtless McAfee moved in for a big hug. “I never experienced any of this. I’ve never been to anything like this. This is so much fun.”
College GameDay in College Station finishes up with…
* A shirtless Pat McAfee
* Guest picker Johnny Manziel
* Lee Corso dressed — and dancing — as a leprechaun
* Nick Saban (hugged by shirtless McAfee): “I’ve never been to anything like this. This is so much fun.” 🏈📺🎙️ pic.twitter.com/DjKmYO4XwP— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 31, 2024
College GameDay posted the “before-and-after” photos of the on-set hijinks.
How GameDay started ➡️ how it ended 😅@ESPNImages pic.twitter.com/StZhTfcb0s
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 31, 2024
As probably a few fans observed, when Manziel appears as the voice of reason and the sane character on a show, things have gone insane.
Earlier in the broadcast, McAfee’s kicking contest took an unusual twist when he gave a freshman who missed a field-goal attempt a second chance, and he hit the 33-yard field goal for $50,000.
As one fan noted on X, “This show is the perfect representation of the U.S.”
This show is the perfect representation of the U.S. https://t.co/VkCgS03tqj
— Tre Switzer (@SwitzerTre) August 31, 2024
Whether that’s a compliment, a complaint, or somewhere vaguely in between, depends on your point of view.
[ESPN]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.