For the first time of the 2020 season, the "College GameDay" game of the week will feature teams from outside the ACC.
After checking in with Miami for two consecutive weeks, "GameDay" will head to Athens, Ga. for the top-10 matchup between Georgia and Auburn, the show's first ranked matchup of the season. The fourth-ranked Bulldogs and seventh-ranked Tigers will both look to improve to 2-0 after hard-fought Week 4 wins.
Auburn rode the arm of Bo Nix (16 of 27 passing, 233 yards, three touchdowns) in a 29-13 win over No. 23 Kentucky. Yet that score belies what was a defensive struggle for most of the game: The Tigers led 15-13 in the fourth quarter before Nix threw his second and third touchdown passes to Seth Williams (4 yards) and Eli Stove (21 yards).
Georgia's quarterback situation is less concrete. The Bulldogs went with D'Wan Mathis in the first start of the season against unranked Arkansas and first-year coach Sam Pittman; at the end of one half, he completed 8 of 17 passes for 55 yards and an interception in a tight 7-5 game. But backup quarterback Stetson Bennett provided the spark Georgia needed in the second half, completing 20 of 29 passes for 211 yards and two scores in a 37-10 win.
Coach Kirby Smart will now have to choose between Mathis, Bennett or JT Daniels, the USC transfer who on Monday was finally cleared to play after a knee injury. Either way, it promises to be an intriguing quarterback battle — and rivalry matchup — in this SEC-styled "GameDay" matchup.
Here's everything you need to know about "College GameDay" as it visits the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry."
MORE: Week 5 picks against the spread for every top-25 matchup
Where is 'College GameDay' location for Week 5?
- Location: Athens, Ga.
- Matchup: No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia
Saturday's episode of "GameDay" will be only the second to feature Auburn vs. Georgia. Despite being the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry," the only prior "GameDay" matchup between these teams came in 2004, when No. 5 Georgia lost 24-6 at No. 3 Auburn.
This will be the fifth all-time visit to Athens, Ga., where the Bulldogs are 2-2. Some potential good news for Georgia: Auburn is 1-6 all-time when the road team on "GameDay" — that includes four straight losses by an average of 9 1/2 points.
'College GameDay' schedule on ESPN
- TV channel: ESPN
- Start time: 9 a.m. ET
The "College GameDay" crew of Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and David Pollack will preview Week 5's college football action live from Athens, Ga. Lee Corso, whose health is at greater risk should he contract COVID-19, has to this point set up a remote office in his home. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
"GameDay" will likely choose one of two options for Week 6: Clemson, S.C. for No. 8 Miami at No. 1 Clemson, or Dallas for No. 9 Texas at No. 18 Oklahoma.
| Week | Matchup | Location | Guest Picker | Corso's Headgear | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | No. 1 Clemson at Wake Forest | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Chris Paul | Clemson | 37-13 |
| 3 | No. 17 Miami at No. 18 Louisville | Louisville, Ky. | Bill Murray | Miami | 47-34 |
| 4 | Florida State at No. 12 Miami | Coral Gables, Fla. | Stugotz | Miami | 52-10 |
| 5 | No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia | Athens, Ga. | Omari Hardwick | Georgia | TBD |
Who is the guest picker on 'College GameDay' for Week 5?
"GameDay" brought on "Power' actor Omari Hardwick, who plays James "Ghost" St. Patrick in the Starz TV series. Hardwick, a Decatur, Ga., native earned a letter as a Georgia football player in 1995 and was a college teammate of current coach Kirby Smart.
Auburn at Georgia odds
Sports Insider lists Georgia as an 6.5-point favorite over Auburn. Sporting News' Bill Bender has the Bulldogs winning a close one, 27-23, but failing to cover the spread.
