When it came time to look for the right person to be College GameDay’s guest picker this weekend, they didn’t have to look very far.
ESPN’s college football pregame show is heading to Salt Lake City for the Big 12 showdown between the No. 24 Utah Utes (6-2) and No. 17 Cincinnati Bearcats (7-1). Joining Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and Kirk Herbstreit as this weekend’s guest picker will be former Utah quarterback and current ESPN NFL analyst Alex Smith.
Alex Smith knows a thing or two about Utah football đ
The Utes’ legend will be back on campus as this weekend’s guest picker đ pic.twitter.com/EYDnAE87An
â College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 30, 2025
Smith joined ESPN in 2021 as an NFL analyst and has been a regular analyst on Sunday NFL Countdown crew since 2023, also appearing on select editions of Monday Night Countdown and Postseason NFL Countdown.
Before embarking on a 16-year NFL career between the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Commanders, Smith played quarterback for the Utes. He was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2004 and led Utah to a victory in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.
Saturday’s game has significant implications for both schools as they attempt to keep pace with the undefeated BYU Cougars and jockey for position against Texas Tech (7-1) and Houston (7-1).
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.