The best college football preview show on television has become so synonymous with the sport that it almost doesn't seem right for the day's first game to kickoff until Lee Corso tosses a mascot head on his dome. From the MAC to D3 squads, the crew has traveled to campuses from coast to coast, but when will these 11 Power 5 programs receive a visit from ESPN College GameDay? If it somehow happens in 2019, here is the most likely week for each university.
[divider] MORE 2019 FBS: Win Total Projections
GameDay Predictions for Each Week[divider]
California: Nov. 16 vs. USC
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AP Photo/Eric Risberg[/credit]
The Golden Bears never received a visit from GameDay during the successful Jeff Tedford era and had fallen on hard times before returning to bowl season in 2018. If Cal and the Trojans are battling for the North and South Pac-12 title respectively, this would be ESPN's chance to visit Berkeley.
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Duke: Nov. 9 vs. Notre Dame
Arguably one of the biggest home games in school history, the Dukies get a crack at last year's playoff participant. The Blue Devils open against Alabama but has winnable contests until the Irish come to town.
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Illinois: Oct. 12 vs. Michigan
Another last-place finish a year ago in the Big Ten West makes a trip to Champaign highly unlikely, but a soft non-conference slate makes a 5-0 start something for Illini fans to dream about.
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Iowa State: Nov. 16 vs. Texas
Good luck figuring out the helter-skelter Cyclones.
In 2017 it knocked off No. 3 Oklahoma in Norman and No. 4 TCU at home. Last year it took down No. 6 West Virginia, but during that span, there are perplexing defeats to 1-10 Baylor and narrow escapes to the likes of Drake.
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Kansas: Nov. 5 vs. Oklahoma
If the Jayhawks can somehow win at Boston College on Sept. 13 and then pull massive back-to-back upsets the following weeks at home to West Virginia and on the road at TCU, this could be their first chance to stare into the dreamy eyes of Kirk Herbstreit.
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Maryland: Nov. 2 vs. Michigan
Iowa State: Watch us pull upsets and then fold against inferior competition.
Maryland: Hold my beer.
The Terps opened the last two seasons with impressive wins over top 25-ranked Texas. It also lost to teams like Rutgers, Temple, Indiana, and gave up a combined 128 points to Ohio State and Penn State two years ago.
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Minnesota: Nov. 30 vs. Wisconsin
Let's imagine a world where P.J. Fleck and company row their boat to a Big Ten West title showdown against the Badgers in late November.
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Rutgers: Nov. 16 vs. Ohio State
A team with all of one win from last year can dream, right?
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Syracuse: Sept. 14 vs. Clemson
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AP Photo/Richard Shiro[/credit]
Considering the 1998 Orange squad was ranked every week except one and was led by future NFL stud Donovan McNabb, it's surprising that GameDay didn't come to upstate New York that season.
Perhaps a visit from last year's champs will change things.
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Virginia: Nov. 29 vs. Virginia Tech
The Cavaliers were 6-2 in 2018 before losing its last three of four contests. If it can stay more consistent, its annual showdown with Virginia Tech could bring the GameDay set to campus.
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Wake Forest: Oct. 29 vs. Florida State
Wake needs to be 6-0 entering this home date and for the Seminoles to somehow upset Clemson in Death Valley the week before.
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