ESPN College GameDay announces CJ Stroud as guest picker for Week 8

ESPN College GameDay will have Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud as its guest picker for Week 8, ESPN has announced.

The former Ohio State quarterback will be returning to Columbus for the Buckeyes’ top-10 matchup against Penn State. The Texans are on their bye week, so Stroud will be locked in on the pivotal Big Ten matchup.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin will also appear as guests throughout the three-hour broadcast. The show will also feature a mic’ed-up conversation with UCF head coach Gus Malzahn ahead of the Knights matchup with Oklahoma. Former Buckeye AJ Hawk and Oz the Mentalist will also join the crew throughout the show.

On top of the guests, GameDay co-host Pat McAfee will be hosting a contest where a fan from the GameDay “pit” has an opportunity to kick a 33-yard field goal through the uprights for a chance at $65,000. ESPN provided details here.

For two seasons, Stroud was a weekly topic on GameDay. The NFL rookie was lights-out during his two years as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, totaling 8,123 yards passing with 85 touchdowns and just 12 total interceptions.

Stroud threw for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions for the Buckeyes as a junior in 2022. He put Ohio State in position to defeat eventual national champion Georgia in the CFP semifinal, leading them down to the Bulldog 32-yard line before kicker Noah Ruggles missed a 50-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.

Despite his college career ending on a sour note, Stroud went on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The selection has worked out well for the Texans, as Houston has already matched their win total (3) from 2022 in six games under Stroud’s lead.

On the season, Stroud has nine touchdowns and one interception to his credit while his 1,660 passing yards rank No. 4 in the entire league heading into the NFL’s Week 7. Houston couldn’t have asked for a better start from who they believe to be their next franchise quarterback.

When Stroud and the Texans return to the field on Sunday, Oct. 29, they’ll be on the road taking on the Carolina Panthers and 2024’s No. 1 overall draft choice, former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young

College GameDay will be live from Columbus, Ohio beginning at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN until football begins at Noon ET.