Once a 'lock,' Kirk Herbstreit says Kentucky 'spit the bit' to lose College GameDay

Lexington was hinted as the location for ESPN’s College GameDay going into Week 2, the prestigious preview show set to soak in what could have been a ranked SEC matchup between Kentucky and Georgia.

Then following the Wildcats’ dumpster fire of a home loss to the Gamecocks, GameDay announced it would be following South Carolina to Columbia for its matchup vs. LSU in Week 3. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum confirmed shortly after the plan was originally to go to Lexington with a win, but had no idea where to take the show after watching things unfold this past Saturday at Kroger Field — especially considering the weak schedule of games this weekend.

“I don’t know where that bus was going,” Finebaum said. “GameDay is great, but the idea that GameDay would go to LSU at South Carolina? I mean that is one of the more bizarre GameDay choices in its history. … (Shane Beamer) stole GameDay from Lexington.”

That’s just another ESPN gasbag, though, frustrated he wasted his time taking SEC Nation and The Finebaum Show to Lexington last weekend, right? Well, not exactly. Now, College GameDay’s own Kirk Herbstreit has confirmed the weekly preview show was coming to Kentucky in Week 3 — a “lock,” as he describes it.

It was a perfect fit, especially if the Wildcats could slide in at the end of the rankings with a comfortable home win as a two-score favorite. They were receiving votes the week before, maybe they get a number next to their name with top-ranked Georgia coming to town? That was the hope. Factor in the prime time 7:30 PM ET kickoff on ABC with Herbstreit, Chris Fowler and Holly Rowe already in town, all the Cats needed to do was take care of business.

Then 31-6 happened.

“Because Kentucky spit the bit last week,” Herbstreit told a fan asking why they weren’t in Lexington this weekend. “(College GameDay) was a lock for UK if Cats won last week and we would have called the game as well. But South Carolina dominating that game we always adjust to the results from the previous week.”

Because Kentucky spit the bit last week. CGD was a lock for UK if Cats won last week and we would have called the game as well. But South Carolina dominating that game we always adjust to the results from the previous week. https://t.co/tFwmXtGS9g

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 12, 2024

Oof.

In Kentucky’s place, South Carolina will host College GameDay with Herbstreit, Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban in Columbia for the first time in a decade. Meanwhile, the streak of 17 years without the prestigious show in Lexington continues.

It was right in the palm of our hand, then snatched away by a dork like Beamer.