ESPN’s College GameDay has spent the early part of the 2026 season planted in SEC country, and Kirk Herbstreit just floated a name that could pull the show out of that lane in Week 5.
Through the first three weeks, the destination list has stayed firmly in the conference. GameDay opened at LSU for the Clemson game in Week 1, went to Texas for its showdown with former No.
1 Ohio State in Week 2, and is set to head to Ole Miss in Week 3 for Lane Kiffin’s return. With Week 4 also shaping up around the SEC, there’s a real chance the show spends the entire month of September inside the conference.
Week 5, though, looks different.
The SEC slate that weekend doesn’t carry the same weight as the matchups in Weeks 3 and 4, opening the door for College GameDay to look elsewhere. On Thursday’s edition of "The Pat McAfee Show," Herbstreit pointed to Iowa as a possibility if the Hawkeyes handle the next two weeks and set up a home date with Ohio State.
"Week 5, there's a potential, some things have to happen, but there's a potential, we haven't been to Iowa City in a long time," Herbstreit said. "Week 5 is still in play."
If that happens, it would be a long-awaited return. College GameDay has visited plenty of Iowa games over the last 20 years, including Cy-Hawk Trophy matchups at Iowa State and the 2015 Big Ten Championship game, but it hasn’t been to Iowa City since Sept.
30, 2006. That day, Iowa was ranked No. 13 and hosting No.
1 Ohio State, and the Buckeyes never let it get close, with Troy Smith throwing four touchdown passes in a 38-17 win.
For Iowa to make that trip a possibility, it has work to do first. The Hawkeyes need to get past Northern Iowa this weekend and then somehow win at Michigan in Week 4, which is the tougher hurdle.
Even if Iowa stays in the mix, the SEC still has a strong case for Week 5. Georgia is one obvious contender, with Vanderbilt coming to town. The Bulldogs’ game against Oklahoma likely won’t draw GameDay after the Sooners’ loss at Michigan, and if Vanderbilt can beat NC State and Auburn, that matchup turns into a battle of unbeaten teams.
Mississippi State could also enter the picture for its game against Alabama. The Bulldogs face South Carolina and Missouri over the next two weeks, and if they bring the same energy they showed at Minnesota, they could keep themselves in the conversation.
In Other News...
Ohio State Faces One Immediate Test After That Texas Collapse
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The matchup also invites some early-game watching points beyond the scoreboard, from how long the starters stay on the field to whether the ground game can set the tone quickly. Bo Jackson is expected to get plenty of runway in the first half, and Khary Wilder could see a larger role on defense, which makes this more than just a routine tune-up. For Ohio State, the bigger question is whether the Buckeyes can turn an uneasy week into something that looks, at least for one Saturday, like control. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Clutch Kicking Reputation Might Not Match The Full Story
Ohio States late-game kicking reputation has long lived off a handful of memorable moments, but a deeper look at the numbers since 2000 paints a more complicated picture. The Buckeyes have had field-goal tries broken into two buckets here: money kicks, when the game is tied or they are trailing by three or fewer, and clutch kicks, when they are protecting a one-score lead, and the difference between those situations matters more than the folklore might suggest.
In money moments, the success rate sits just over half, with a mix of makes and misses that helped build the sense of drama around the position. The list includes some notable pressure kicks and some painful failures, along with Mike Nugents 55-yard walk-off against Marshall in 2004, a reminder that the range and stakes can change everything. Even so, the broader pattern leaves room for debate about whether Ohio States kicking curse is really about execution, opportunity, or the way the biggest misses tend to linger longest in memory. [Read more 🡒]
Legend Bey Gets A Crucial Ohio State Chance To Earn Trust Back
Legend Bey is getting another crack at a role that disappeared fast after the early-season loss of trust. The Ohio State freshman had been pulled from kickoff return duty after a shaky outing against Ball State, and Ryan Day turned to Devin McCuin for the Texas game while Beys involvement shrank to just one snap.
Now the Buckeyes are giving Bey his return job back for the upcoming game against Kent State, which makes this a clear chance to reset his standing. For Bey, the assignment is about more than handling kickoffs well. It is about showing he can follow instructions, stay within the framework of the staff, and earn back the trust that his play briefly cost him. [Read more 🡒]