No. 3 Penn State takes on No. 6 Oregon at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The highly anticipated match is the Nittany Lions' (3-0) first major game of the season that will start showing playoff contention paths.
The Ducks (4-0) aren't the only ones coming to town. ESPN's "College GameDay" is making the trip to State College for its 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET show. With Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and Desmond Howard setting up on Old Main Lawn, there's one piece that hasn't been announced: the guest picker.
There are a number of enticing options that, unfortunately, won't be available. Players in the NFL who have games on Sunday are out of the picture. That includes Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren, Pat Freiermuth, and Jahan Dotson among many others. Likewise, getting former Nittany Lion quarterback Beau Pribula back on campus isn't possible as Missouri plays UMass Saturday night as well.
Though it cuts down on the options, there are still plenty of people ESPN can choose from. "College GameDay" can go in a Penn State-ESPN connection direction or even a Penn State-Oregon connection direction. The official announcement of who the guest picker is will be released closer to Saturday.
In the meantime, here are our staff's predictions as to who the "College GameDay" guest picker will be:
Josh Yourish
Prediction: Gavin McKenna
College hockey has never attracted the top talents on the NHL radar. However, NIL and revenue-sharing have changed everything in college sports, not just football and basketball, and Penn State hockey has taken advantage. McKenna is the top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, and while he’s yet to play a game for the Nittany Lions, he’ll soon be a campus-wide and then a nationwide star.
With ESPN reacquiring NHL rights in recent years, the network would love to get a head start on developing the mystique around McKenna before he arrives in the league, and College Gameday is the perfect opportunity.
Sydney Ciano
Prediction: Katie Schumacher-Cawley
Penn State women's volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley made history in 2024. She became the first female head coach in the league to win a national championship, and her team got a piece of the Big Ten title while at it as well. This was the program's eighth national title won and Schumacher-Cawley's second with the blue and white. She was on the court for the 1999 victory under head coach Russ Rose's lead.
Her 2024 success goes beyond making history, though. She was a role model for perseverance, courage, and strength off the court as she battled stage two breast cancer. Schumacher-Cawley never missed a practice or a game with her Nittany Lions in 2024 despite her diagnosis and treatments. In February 2025, she was officially cancer-free.
In addition to her success on and off the court that makes her a top candidate to be the guest picker, Schumacher-Cawley was honored at ESPN's "ESPYS" in July as the recipient of The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Her very recent connection to the network is enticing to bring her on the show on Saturday.
Just to throw a little Oregon connection out there, Schumacher-Cawley's 2024 team swept the Ducks early in the regular season on Oct. 4. Coincidentally, this was also a "Wear White" theme for fans in Rec Hall. The reigning national champion head coach can pass the very specific, White Out-victory-over-Oregon baton over to the national championship-vying head coach, James Franklin.
Asher Fair
Prediction: Ki-Jana Carter
This marks the first regular season matchup between Penn State and Oregon as Big Ten opponents, but these two programs did meet four times prior to the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game.
The most recent of those meetings came in the 1995 Rose Bowl, and in that game, Ki-Jana Carter took it 83 yards to the end zone on the Nittany Lions’ first offensive play. They never looked back.
In his final game at Penn State to cap off what is still the school’s most recent undefeated season, he was named Rose Bowl MVP and racked up 156 yards and three touchdowns. Until 2023, this was Penn State’s only Rose Bowl win.
Though Penn State’s rivalry with Oregon is not as storied as some, it’s hard to think about these two teams without thinking back to what happened in Pasadena three decades ago. What better way to open up the next chapter?
Myles Hannak
Prediction: Gavin McKenna
With all eyes on this week’s College GameDay in front of Old Main, only one name is fitting for the occasion and to make a debut on the show.
With signs pointing to Gavin McKenna's potential departure after this season for the NHL, it’s the perfect chance for the Nittany Lions’ newest star on the ice to introduce himself to the fans with his lone season in Happy Valley starting soon.
In the vibrant show atmosphere, McKenna has the opportunity to get another ESPN showing after fans were sat for his commitment announcement in July. On top of that, the professional media experience will surely come in handy once he stars in the pros.
The blue and white already generated considerable hype for their hockey and football seasons this year. This is the perfect opportunity to combine this excitement and hopefully create viral moments to document a special moment in Penn State sports history.