ESPN 'College GameDay' Announces Two Guest Pickers for College Football Playoff

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ESPN 'College GameDay' Announces Two Guest Pickers for College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff kicks off on Friday with a matchup between the No. 9-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 8-seeded Oklahoma Sooners.

Unlike its usual one-school-per-week studio location during the regular season, ESPN’s “College GameDay” pregame show will be at two different sites over the weekend. They will start in Norman for the rematch between the Sooners and Crimson Tide, but will then make the trip to College Station for the first-round game between the No. 10-seeded Miami Hurricanes and No. 7-seeded Texas A&M Aggies.

With two different shows on two different days comes a celebrity guest picker for each location.

From left, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit host ESPN’s “College GameDay” in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As announced on X, the crew featuring Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit will welcome Oklahoma legend Brian Bosworth to the show in Norman.

Joining them in College Station will be another polarizing figure in former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“Two shows, two guest pickers 👏,” wrote “College GameDay” on X.

Bosworth, a linebacker, was a catalyst for Oklahoma’s 1985 national championship team, won the Butkus Award twice, was a two-time unanimous All-American and went down as one of college football‘s greatest villains.

As for Manziel, the brash quarterback won the Heisman trophy in 2012 along with the Davey O’Brien Award and the AP Player of the Year honor. He too was a villain of sorts during his playing days.

Friday’s Oklahoma-Alabama will kick at 8 p.m. ET and air on ABC/ESPN and the ESPN app. “College GameDay” will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Friday on ESPN and the ESPN app. On Saturday, the Miami-Texas A&M game begins at noon ET and will air on ABC/ESPN and the ESPN app. “College GameDay” will begin at its usual 9 a.m. ET Saturday on ESPN and the ESPN app.

Related: Georgia a Top Candidate for 5-Star Player Transferring From SEC Team

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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