ESPN's College GameDay is setting up on the Pentacrest Lawn at the University of Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 3, marking the show's first visit to Iowa City in two decades. The pregame fixture airs from 9 a.m. to noon ET ahead of a top-15 Big Ten showdown between No. 5 Ohio State and No. 14 Iowa at Kinnick Stadium.
Why GameDay Chose Iowa City This Week
For the first time in 20 years, ESPN's College GameDay Built by The Home Depot is returning to Iowa City, setting up live from Pentacrest Lawn at the University of Iowa ahead of a top-15 showdown as No. 5 Ohio State visits No. 14 Iowa. Coming off a thrilling last-second victory against Michigan, the Hawkeyes will host GameDay for the third time overall, while Ohio State makes its record-extending 70th GameDay appearance.
The crew's return follows a dramatic finish in Ann Arbor the previous week, and the buzz around campus has been building since ESPN's production team began assembling the set earlier in the week. For more on this week's slate across the conference, check out our college football coverage, including the Penn State-Northwestern matchup also taking place this weekend.
Who's on the Desk
Rece Davis returns as host and is joined at the desk by analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is scheduled to join the show live on set ahead of the Hawkeyes' home game, giving the home crowd an extra reason to pack the Pentacrest early.
Caitlin Clark Takes Over as Guest Picker
The headline attraction for many fans this week isn't a player on either roster — it's a basketball legend. Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark will be the guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay, the network confirmed Friday night, as the show makes its first visit to Iowa City since 2006.
Clark played in Iowa City as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team and has since become one of the WNBA's best players with the Indiana Fever, finishing as NCAA women's basketball's all-time leading scorer. Her return comes just days after the launch of her signature sneaker line, and Nike also established a Clark-themed activation near the GameDay set in downtown Iowa City. Readers following her pro career can revisit how she helped the Fever force a Game 3 in this year's WNBA playoffs.
Ohio State vs. Iowa: Game Details
Kickoff, TV and Rankings
No. 5 Ohio State visits No. 14 Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Iowa is coming off a 20-19 win at Michigan, while Ohio State beat Illinois 42-19 last Saturday and is averaging 45.0 points and 365.3 passing yards per game.
Series History and Stakes
Ohio State holds the advantage, 49-15-3, in the all-time series and has won 15 of the last 17 meetings. Iowa is welcoming the Buckeyes to Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 2017, when the Hawkeyes beat then-No. 3 Ohio State, 55-24. A win for Iowa would also be historically rare: the Hawkeyes haven't beaten Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks since 1997, and the last time Iowa beat both programs in the same season was 1962.
Both teams enter unbeaten in conference play, and the matchup carries real weight for the Big Ten and College Football Playoff picture. Fans tracking other unbeaten conference contenders can also follow the Pitt-Virginia Tech rivalry game happening the same weekend.
What to Watch For
Beyond the Clark appearance, GameDay's broadcast includes its usual mix of analysis segments. Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is also scheduled to join the show live from the field ahead of the Fighting Irish's matchup against UNC, and the GameDay Film Room with Nick Saban returns with a breakdown of BYU's offense ahead of its game against TCU.
For Iowa, the atmosphere figures to be electric given the stakes and the rare homecoming for both the show and Clark. For Ohio State, it's a chance to validate its playoff credentials on the road in one of the sport's most hostile environments. Whichever way the pick goes on set, the actual outcome won't be decided until the two teams kick off at Kinnick Stadium later Saturday afternoon.