As College Football Week 0 kicks off in Ireland this week, ESPN deployed its College GameDay desk overseas for the show's first assignment of the season. The crew — plus guest picker Irish WWE star Sheamus — gave their predictions for the upcoming campaign, and the results will surely draw the ire of Ohio State fans all across the globe.
The GameDay Crew's CFP National Champion picks -- Sheamus picking Notre Dame as the winner is on-brand pic.twitter.com/ZDEiul374l
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) August 24, 2024
None of the analysts chose the Buckeyes to win this year's College Football Playoff National Championship. Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit both chose the Oregon Ducks, while Nick Saban and Pat McAfee each elected the Georgia Bulldogs to win the program's third title over the last four years. Sheamus unsurprisingly selected Notre Dame.
Despite the lack of enthusiasm surrounding Ohio State's CFP aspirations, the desk had a more agreeable attitude with respect to the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten title. Of course, one member of the crew predictably opted to pick someone else.
The GameDay Crew's Big Ten Champion picks: pic.twitter.com/BGCMEAlV5E
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) August 24, 2024
Howard has enjoyed antagonizing Ohio State fans from the GameDay desk for a long time. However, he has especially relished in doing so since last season after labeling Ryan Day "thin-skinned," claiming the Buckeyes had "no excuses" heading into the Michigan game last year in wake of Connor Stalions' dismissal and blasting the Big Ten's handling of the scandals surrounding U-M football.
As for the 2024 beginning to college football itself, Week 0 has already started with excitement after former Ohio State long snapper Mason Arnold pulled off a swinging gate two-point conversion following Florida State scoring the first touchdown of the season.
SWINGING GATE BABYYYYYYYYY pic.twitter.com/I4QI7IKrn2
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) August 24, 2024
Buckeye fans may remember Arnold as the long snapper during the 2022 installment of The Game that snapped the ball to Jesse Mirco instead of Mitch Rossi on what would have been a crucial fake punt fourth down conversion.
