ESPN College Gameday 2024: Week 15 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

ESPN College Gameday 2024: Week 15 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions
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1TV Schedule and Hosts
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2SEC Championship Game: No. 5 Georgia at No. 2 Texas
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3Prediction
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ESPN College Gameday 2024: Week 15 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

Erik Beaston
Dec 6, 2024

ESPN College Gameday 2024: Week 15 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

HARRISONBURG,VA NOVEMBER 18, 2023:  ESPN College GameDay  at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Saturday, November 18 2023 pit No. 18 James Madison Dukes versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Prior to the start of the live program, Desmond Howard, does a live segment introducing the game. Gameday is hosted by Rece Davis and featuring Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Pete Thamel and reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims, and airs on ESPN.
(Photo by Justin Ide  / forThe Washington Post via Getty Images)
HARRISONBURG,VA NOVEMBER 18, 2023: ESPN College GameDay at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Saturday, November 18 2023 pit No. 18 James Madison Dukes versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Prior to the start of the live program, Desmond Howard, does a live segment introducing the game. Gameday is hosted by Rece Davis and featuring Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Pete Thamel and reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims, and airs on ESPN. (Photo by Justin Ide / forThe Washington Post via Getty Images)

ESPN College Gameday rolls into Atlanta on Saturday for the SEC Championship Game between the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs and the second-ranked Texas Longhorns.

The crew will have all of the pregame coverage of a high-stakes showdown between two of the most storied programs in the nation.

Find out when you can check out the popular show, where it will emanate from, and who will leave Atlanta as champions with this preview of Saturday's festivities.

TV Schedule and Hosts

BLOOMINGTON, IN - OCTOBER 26: ESPN College GameDay analyst and former Colts punter Pat McAfee on set prior to a college football game between the Washington Huskies and Indiana Hoosiers on October 26, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - OCTOBER 26: ESPN College GameDay analyst and former Colts punter Pat McAfee on set prior to a college football game between the Washington Huskies and Indiana Hoosiers on October 26, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Date: Saturday, December 7

Time: 9:00 a.m. EST

TV: ESPN, ESPN U

Streaming: ESPN+

Hosts: Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Pete Thamel, Stanford Steve, Jen Lada and Jess Sims

Location: Dr Pepper SEC FanFare in the Georgia World Congress Center, Building B, in Atlanta

SEC Championship Game: No. 5 Georgia at No. 2 Texas

AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Raylen Wilson #5 and Malaki Starks #24 of the Georgia Bulldogs prepare to stop Quintrevion Wisner #26 of the Texas Longhorns during a game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Raylen Wilson #5 and Malaki Starks #24 of the Georgia Bulldogs prepare to stop Quintrevion Wisner #26 of the Texas Longhorns during a game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The first time Georgia and Texas battled this season, the Bulldogs emerged victorious, hanging the lone loss on the Longhorns' record with a 30-15 drubbing.

After the victors in that matchup inexplicably dropped a game to Ole Miss, suffering their second loss of the season, the likelihood that we would see the two teams compete for the SEC title felt like a long shot.

Losses by Alabama and Tennessee, though, brought the two teams together for another colossal collision, this time with so much more at stake.

The Bulldogs have two losses and a third, while not totally disqualifying, would make a playoff berth that much more difficult. The Longhorns have been one of the two or three best teams in college football all season, and last week's Ohio State loss to Michigan elevated the program to the No. 2 ranking.

Georgia's Carson Beck has been one of the best quarterbacks in college and a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate with 3,429 yards, 28 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 60.5 completion percentage against AP Top 25 teams.

Against Texas on October 19, he had one of his worst statistical games of the year, completing 23-of-41 passes for 175 yards and three interceptions.

His counterpart in Saturday's game, Quinn Ewers, was slightly better, completing 58.1 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and an interception, but was sacked five times. He was ultimately benched for Arch Manning, in hopes that the third-generation player would bring some sort of spark to an offense that struggled mightily against the Georgia defense.

That unit dominated the game, holding the Texas run game to 29 yards on 27 carries and proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Will the Bulldogs' defense be able to stifle the Texas offense, pressure the quarterback, and halt the running game for a second time this season and ensure a berth in the playoffs and a third SEC title for head coach Kirby Smart?

That may be a tough ask.

Prediction

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 30: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns looks to pass against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Kyle Field on November 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas.  (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 30: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns looks to pass against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Kyle Field on November 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Since that October 19 loss, Texas has looked like the better of the two teams. The Longhorns have not faltered again, despite a much closer game with a tough Vanderbilt team than it should have been.

Add to that a defense that is the second-best in the nation, allowing just 11.67 points per game and 15 touchdowns in 12 games, and you have a unit that is prepared to be for its team what Georgia's was in their first meeting.

Beck has outplayed Ewers this season, and if the game comes down to a battle of quarterbacks, Georgia could make it 2-0 against Texas on the season.

In a defensive battle between two good teams capable of beating anyone at any time, the game may come down to momentum.

On one hand, Texas has not lost since October 19. On the other, Georgia was beaten down by Ole Miss but their November 29 win in eight overtimes over Georgia State showed the sort of resiliency and toughness a champion is built of.

It is the type of win that a team can use to propel them forward in pursuit of a championship.

Still, the eye test says Texas is better and has been consistently that way all year.

If Ewers avoids costly mistakes, and his offense can muster any semblance of a run game, it feels like the perfect opportunity for the No. 2 team in the country to avenge what appeared at the time to be a crushing defeat earlier in the season.


Prediction: Texas by a field goal, 30-27

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