Pat McAfee’s “Kicking is Easy” contest rolled into Bloomington in Week 9, and Indiana fan Jackson got his shot at a life-changing payday - twice.
The Hoosiers student lined up for a 33-yard attempt with $1 million on the line, part of a season that has already seen college kickers cash in big on ESPN’s pregame stage. Students at BYU, Ole Miss and Texas have all gone home winners after connecting, and BYU Spider Man, Carter, recently went viral after claiming $3 million on his attempt.
Jackson nearly joined that group, but not quite. Both of his kicks came agonizingly close and stayed just outside the uprights, ending his run at millionaire status. McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit were left stunned as the ball missed on both tries.
The Halloween edition of “GameDay” didn’t deliver the treat Jackson was hoping for.
Maybe kicking isn’t that easy
TWICE THE HEARTBREAK ON HALLOWEEN 😭 Jackson came SO close on both attempts to win $1 MILLION of @PatMcAfeeShow’s money!💰 https://t.co/DF1YJtfR9n
- College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 31, 2026
McAfee’s contest has handed out plenty of money this season, both to students and to charities, but it has also produced some rough misses. One Iowa student, in particular, turned in two of the worst attempts in “College GameDay” history.
Jackson’s day ended without the million, though the former soccer player did strike the ball well. And according to McAfee, that weekly pressure cooker has a habit of spilling over into the actual game: when the kicker makes the kick, his team often wins, while misses tend to line up with losses.
Saturday’s “College GameDay” stop in Bloomington wrapped with special guest picker Isiah Thomas, who was set to close out the show with his picks before Indiana’s major Big Ten matchup.
In Other News...
Indiana's Homecoming Test Feels Bigger Than A Routine Big Ten Saturday
Homecoming in Bloomington brings a little extra weight to Saturdays Big Ten matchup, with Indiana set to welcome Minnesota to Memorial Stadium in a late-afternoon window that should give the game a bigger stage than a typical league date. The Hoosiers come in at 7-1, Minnesota at 5-2, and both teams have spent the fall building enough momentum to make this one feel like more than just another conference checkpoint.
Curt Cignettis group has turned every home date into a measuring stick, and this one arrives with CBS carrying the broadcast and P.J. Fleck bringing a familiar brand of physical, disciplined football into town. For Indiana, the setting matters as much as the standings, because a win here would keep the Hoosiers right where they want to be in the Big Ten picture while giving the homecoming crowd a game with real consequence. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Playoff Case May Depend On A Rsum Problem Fans Hate
Indianas path to the College Football Playoff is starting to look less like a simple rsum check and more like a waiting game. The Hoosiers still need the kind of ranked win that looks good to the selection committee, but the value of that win can shift depending on what happens around the country, especially with teams such as Northwestern, Minnesota and USC.
That is the frustrating part for Indiana fans: the Hoosiers may not control the exact shape of their own best argument by Selection Sunday. If those teams keep winning, or even improve their standing, Indianas strength of schedule case gets a cleaner boost. If they slip, the rsum problem gets harder to solve, and the margin for error gets even smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Tight End Shift Could Say A Lot About This Offense
Indianas tight end room has been one of the quieter parts of the offense this season, but it has also become one of the more interesting. Trevor Gibbs, Andrew Barker and Brock Schott have all worked their way into the mix after early-season uncertainty and injuries, giving Curt Cignetti more options as Indiana keeps searching for ways to stress defenses that are built to take away the obvious answers.
Cignetti has pointed to steady improvement from the group, with Schott drawing particular notice after a key catch in overtime against Michigan. For an offense trying to broaden its menu, the way Indiana uses its tight ends over the next stretch could be revealing, not just about who is earning snaps but about how much flexibility this unit really has. [Read more 🡒]