ESPN “College GameDay” kicks off a new season Saturday when Georgia Tech plays No. 10 Florida State in Dublin in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
This ACC matchup will be the iconic Saturday morning program’s first show to originate from outside of the United States. Its first road show took place Nov. 13, 1993 from South Bend, Indiana, and featured No. 1 Florida State visiting No. 2 Notre Dame in a game that was dubbed the “Game of the Century.”
Yes, the show has taken place at Wrigley Field, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and New York City’s Times Square, but never has the show gone international. While the Seminoles will have appeared on the show 35 times, the Yellow Jackets will make their sixth appearance Saturday, with Irish WWE superstar Sheamus as the guest picker.
Tech holds the record for having the most appearances on “College GameDay” without a win (0-5), giving the Jackets the worst winning percentage of football teams to have appeared on the show. ESPN analyst Lee Corso didn’t pick Tech to win any of the five games.
Here’s a look at Tech football’s history when featured on “College GameDay.”
Aug. 29, 2019: Georgia Tech at No. 1 Clemson
Clemson defeated Tech 52-14. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville, led the Tigers to a dominant win over the Yellow Jackets, but the true star was Travis Etienne Jr., who recorded three rushing touchdowns and 205 yards in only 12 carries.
Oct. 21, 2006: No. 13 Georgia Tech at No. 12 Clemson
Clemson defeated Tech 31-7. Clemson’s two running backs, James Davis and CJ Spiller, combined for 332 yards and three rushing touchdowns in their rout of Georgia Tech.
Sept. 6, 2006: No. 2 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
Notre Dame defeated Tech 14-10 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, making this a close game between a highly ranked team and an unranked team. This was Tech’s first of two “College GameDay” appearances in the 2006 season, and the show was held in Yellow Jacket Park. Calvin Johnson recorded 111 receiving yards and one touchdown on seven receptions. This matchup served as the opener of the “College GameDay” 2006 season.
Sept. 24, 2005: No. 16 Georgia Tech at No. 4 Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech defeated Georgia Tech 51-7. Quarterback Michael Vick led the Hokies to a dominant victory, in which he posted 223 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson recorded 123 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Though the game wasn’t very competitive, this was considered a massive rivalry game within the ACC and college football that year.
Oct. 24, 1998: No. 5 Florida State at No. 23 Georgia Tech
Florida State defeated Georgia Tech 34-7 in a game in which Lee Corso picked Florida State to win. This would be the Seminoles’ first of two appearances on the show, before the BCS Championship game against No. 1 Tennessee. This game became eventful for the Jackets when Tech’s legendary quarterback Joe Hamilton suffered a hip injury that led to freshman George Godsey having to play under center, causing massive problems for the Yellow Jackets.
