Was College GameDay’s Week 1 choice of Auburn vs. Oregon the right one?
ESPN College Gameday has chosen Arlington, Texas, for the Auburn vs. Oregon matchup as its Week 1 destination. Was this the right choice?
In recent years, Week 1 has become more and more loaded on the college football schedule. What was once a slate that featured countless David vs. Goliath matchups to bring in the year with an easy win, is now a weekend of important, meaningful football that will still matter when December rolls around.
With that change, it has become more and more difficult for the ESPN crew to decide what matchup it will bring College GameDay to open the season. For 2019, they’ve landed on Auburn and Oregon, who will meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on the first Saturday of the year.
Hey @AuburnFootball and @oregonfootball ... SEE YOU WEEK 1! 😎 pic.twitter.com/6EaoAS83Y0
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) July 18, 2019
Auburn finished 8-5 in 2018, but has the talent to contend in the SEC. The big unknown for the Tigers is the quarterback position. Freshmen Bo Nix and Joey Gatewood are competing for the job that has been held by Jarrett Stidham for the previous two seasons.
The Ducks got the best news they could ask for during the offseason, as quarterback Justin Herbert announced he would not enter the NFL Draft, and instead return to Eugene for his senior season. On an offense loaded with experience, Herbert is poised for an exciting season.
Can't wait for this one 🔥 @CollegeGameDay Week 1: @AuburnFootball x @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/87Ko93WWLh
— ESPN (@espn) July 18, 2019
But as always, fans will debate the question: Was this the right choice for College GameDay?
Houston-Oklahoma and Notre Dame-Lousville are on Sunday and Monday respectively, so they’re out of contention. So are Utah-BYU, Clemson-Georgia Tech and Miami-Florida. Those three games take place prior to that first Saturday.
There are some other exciting matchups on that day, but they lack the balance (Alabama-Duke, Georgia-Vandy) or the marquee name (South Carolina-UNC, Pitt-UVA) to warrant a trip from Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howad and Lee Corso.
When stacked up against the rest of the Week 1 schedule, it looks like ESPN got it right.
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In a weak Pac-12, Oregon absolutely has to win this big non-conference game in order to bolster its playoff hopes. Auburn could go 10-2, and it could also be Gus Malzahn’s last season on the plains. For the worldwide leader, the intrigue of this matchup, along with the pure talent that will be on display, makes for good TV.