Will ESPN College GameDay Visit Eugene for Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State?

ESPN’s College GameDay is likely to make an appearance in Eugene on Saturday, Oct. 12 as the Oregon Ducks face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in one of the most highly anticipated games of the 2024 college football season. Although the Buckeyes are favorited, Autzen stadium provides the Ducks with an undeniable home-field advantage.

Fans gather at the University of Oregon as ESPN s College GameDay comes to Eugene ahead of the Ducks top-10 matchup against the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. News College Gameday / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

EUGENE- ESPN's College GameDay pregame show might be coming to Eugene for the 12th time on Saturday, Oct. 12, as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks host the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes at home in Autzen Stadium. 

The highly anticipated game has been sold out since May and is currently the highest-priced college football game on the secondary market with tickets going for as much as $2,000. 

After beating Michigan State, the media was ready to ask Oregon coach Dan Lanning about the showdown with the Buckeyes.

"We’re finally there," said Lanning. "[Ohio State's] a great team, obviously they’re going to do a lot of things. There is reason they are one of the best teams in the country. It is going to be a great challenge for us, and our fans are going to have to show up and be phenomenal in that one.”

The Oregon Ducks head into Saturday's game undefeated following a 31-10 win over the Michigan State Spartans on Friday, Oct. 4. The Buckeyes are set to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 12:30 p.m. PT.

Both Oregon and Ohio State entered the 2024 college football season as favorites for the Big Ten championship as well as the national championship. And after week 6, Oregon remains undefeated while the Buckeyes will likely also maintain a perfect record after facing Iowa on Saturday afternoon. 

Lee Corso gives the thumbs up after picking Ohio State to win while, from left, Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Archie Griffin, and Kirk Herbstreit sit on the set of ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from the campus of Ohio State prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan State Spartans in Columbus on Nov. 21, 2015. (Adam Cairns / The Columbus Dispatch) / Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

The upcoming Oregon-Ohio State game also serves as a historic marker for both teams as this is the first time the Ducks and Buckeyes will be facing each other as members of the same conference. Despite both Oregon and Ohio State making college game day appearances in the last three years, both the Ducks and Buckeyes have yet to make a GameDay appearance in 2024, making Saturday's matchup the perfect opportunity for College GameDay to see both teams. 

Ohio State is no stranger to the attention that comes along with College GameDay. The Buckeyes have the most appearances of all time on the show with 59 and the most wins with game day in attendance, winning 40 games. The Buckeyes have also hosted the most times, bringing GameDay to the infamous Horseshoe 23 times. 

On the other hand, Oregon has made 28 previous appearances on College GameDay, most recently appearing in 2023 when the Ducks flew north to face rivals the Washington Huskies in Seattle. The then-ranked No. 8 Ducks fell to the Huskies 46-43. 

Lee Corso holds a duck alongside The Duck after picking the Ducks as the winner of Saturday s top-10 matchup against the UCLA Bruins on ESPN s College GameDay at the University of Oregon. News College Gameday / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon hosted the College GameDay pregame show two years ago during the 2022 season when the No. 9 Ducks defeated the No. 10 UCLA Bruins 45-30. 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are currently favored by 2.5 points according to FanDuel Sports. However, Autzen Stadium has a reputation as one of the hardest stadiums to play in and as one of the loudest on the West Coast, giving the Ducks an undeniable home-field advantage. 

The Oregon Ducks will host the Ohio State Buckeyes in front of a sold-out stadium in Autzen Stadium Saturday, Oct. 12 at 12:30 p.m.  

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