The ESPN “College GameDay” personalities were all decked out in white suits Saturday morning, creating their own White Out ahead of the one happening later at Beaver Stadium for the matchup between No. 3 Penn State and the No. 6 Oregon Ducks.
From left to right on the set, Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit each sported the bright white look. Well, OK, McAfee’s jacket was more ecru than white.
Yet despite the attire, the college football pregame show was not a completely pro-Penn State affair as it broadcast from State College, Pennsylvania.
During one segment, the crew fielded an array of questions from the “College GameDay Dashboard.” Howard went first, and the ticker of questions stopped on:
“Who is the best team in the Big Ten?”
“The most impressive team, I’d say, was Indiana last week,” Howard said. “But I think the best team is going to play in this stadium tonight, and they ain’t wearing blue, baby. It might be Quack, Quack.”
Herbstreit then drew this question: “Who is your Heisman favorite following (Oklahoma quarterback) John Mateer’s injury?”
The big screen showed the list of favorites. “I’m going with this guy,” Herbstreit said, pointing to Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
The comments drew some boos from the Nittany Lion faithful in the crowd.
“We’re going to get those two guys green suits,” Davis quipped.
Then it was McAfee’s turn to field a question: “Which Top 25 team is on upset alert today?”
“There’s a top 6 game happening here in Happy Valley,” McAfee said, “and these Ducks need to watch their fat asses.”
As for “college football’s most electric environment,” McAfee said he had seen a lot of them over the past few years, mentioning LSU, Alabama and Tennessee’s home crowds.
“But there’s nothing like a White Out in Happy Valley,” McAfee said, drawing a roar from the crowd.
Later, the show aired a feature about Kenyon Sadiq and the Oregon tight end’s bond with his late grandfather.
Then Penn State coach James Franklin joined the set and gave Saban a lion suit.
Franklin hyped up the White Out.
“This will be the best environment in the history of college football tonight,” he said.
Throughout the show, the Oregon Duck mascot could be seen holding up various signs. One said:
“@SABRINA CARPENTER STOP PLAYIN GAMES WITH ME”
No. 6 Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at No. 3 Penn State (3-0)