College GameDay took heat for picking Miami-Florida over Illinois-Indiana this weekend. Fans couldn’t understand why ESPN would choose a game with a 1-2 Florida team that just threw five interceptions over two undefeated, ranked programs meeting in primetime.
Rece Davis did his best to address the backlash during an appearance on Stugotz and Company, offering a detailed look at how these weekly destination decisions actually get made. He laid out the factors that go into GameDay selections, starting with the obvious one that critics focused on.
The process starts with finding compelling storylines, Davis said, but it’s not as simple as picking the highest-ranked matchup.
“We want to find the best storyline of the week,” Davis explained. “Now, a lot of times, people look at that and say that always has to be the game between two teams that have the highest ranking, if you have a ranked versus ranked game. But, it’s a little bit more than that. You can look for storylines, what’s compelling. Where you have been factors into it, also, because had we not been to Oklahoma for Michigan-Oklahoma, then certainly Jackson Arnold returning there would’ve been compelling.”
Miami presented multiple angles beyond just its 3-0 record. Davis still has the Hurricanes ranked third on his personal ballot and said he considered moving them to No. 1 after seeing how they’ve matched up against the likes of Notre Dame and USF. And speaking of, there’s the Florida disaster unfolding in real time, too.
“I think (Miami) is the place to be this week…They’ve looked really, really good,” he said. “You’ve got that aspect of it. And then the last two games that Florida has played have been really disastrous. First, from a self-inflicted wound(s) to the penalty standpoint in the loss to USF. And then the multitude of turnovers they had against LSU. So, that’s a little storyline, too. We sort of find ourselves back in the same place with Billy Napier. Yet, it’s a really talented Florida team that I don’t think will be a pushover Saturday night.”
Atmosphere matters too. Davis pointed to Miami’s 2017 GameDay experience as evidence that the Hurricanes know how to put on a show.
“I think it’s the right place to be. Those types of things go into it,” Davis added. “What’s the biggest game? What’s the best storyline? And also, what’s the best atmosphere? And the last time we were at Miami, on campus in 2017, that was a tremendous atmosphere, and the folks there tell me it’s going to be even better this week. I can’t wait to get there.”
Davis brought up last year’s Cal selection when asked about times he’s disagreed with GameDay destinations. His entire crew initially opposed going to Berkeley, but Davis had a different perspective, having taken the basketball version of the GameDay show there years earlier.
“One that I did not vehemently disagree with, but virtually everyone else on my set did, was last year when we went to Cal,” he said. “Full transparency here: I would’ve disagreed with it, had I not had a basketball experience with Cal, I think in 2008 or ’09. We took the basketball show there. And I was just like my football guys when we took the basketball show there. For basketball, ‘It’s gonna be seven o’clock in the morning, they don’t care about sports at Cal. Nobody’s gonna go. Why are we taking the show there?’ The whole thing…”
Cal ended up delivering one of GameDay’s most memorable crowds. Berkeley students showed up with signs like “I only do lines of code,” “I thought this was a protest,” and “Miami cites Wikipedia,” creating an atmosphere that surprised everyone, including Davis himself.
“I think that might’ve been in my now 11th season on GameDay, I think that might be the best crowd we’ve had,” the longtime GameDay host said. “The Washington State crowd was unbelievable. The James Madison crowd was bigger. The Tennessee crowd was phenomenal every time we’ve been there, but particularly last week. But that Cal crowd was amazing. And so, I think sometimes you might think, ‘Well, we have to be at this game.’ Where you really need to be is at the best story, and what will create the best environment for the show.”
Davis said he’s had minor disagreements over destinations during his 11 seasons, but couldn’t recall any major regrets or times he felt the show made a serious mistake.
Fans weren’t wrong to be frustrated. Illinois-Indiana had everything you’d want from a GameDay destination — two undefeated, ranked teams averaging over 45 points per game while giving up fewer than eight. NBC thought enough of the matchup to put it in primetime.
But that’s where Davis and the fans disagree on what GameDay should be. Fans want the show to follow the best football. ESPN is trying to balance storylines, atmosphere, and logistics that don’t always align with what looks best in the AP poll.
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