GameDay rolled into Iowa City today for the massive top-25 Big Ten showdown between the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes at Kinnick Stadium. It wasn’t just any regular Saturday for the crew either, because three-time Big Ten Player of the Year and WNBA No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark was in the house as the celebrity guest picker, and she was NOT shy about her allegiances. The stakes were high for Week 5, and the GameDay crew, along with Clark, dropped their predictions for some of the biggest matchups, with some truly wild splits.
Kinnick Stadium Kicks Off a Classic Showdown
This isn’t the first time GameDay has brought its circus to Iowa City. In fact, it’s the third time the show has originated from the University of Iowa, with the last being way back on September 30, 2006, when the Hawkeyes also hosted Ohio State. Talk about history repeating itself! The usual suspects were on hand for the picks: Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and the legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
But the real buzz was around Caitlin Clark. Her resume is just insane: three-time Big Ten Player of the Year as a point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes, averaging a ridiculous 28.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game over her four-year career from 2020-24. She was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, now plays for the Indiana Fever, and is easily one of the league’s most recognizable faces. Naturally, she was all about her Hawkeyes for the big game against Ohio State.
When it came time for the main event picks, it was a real battle. Desmond Howard went with Iowa, but Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and Kirk Herbstreit all picked Ohio State. And then there was Caitlin Clark, staying true to her roots, who boldly picked Iowa. You gotta respect the loyalty, but going against Saban and the majority? That’s a statement!
Big Games, Big Splits: GameDay’s Other Week 5 Calls
Beyond the Iowa-Ohio State brawl, the crew weighed in on a ton of other key matchups, and there were some interesting disagreements.
For the Washington at USC game, it was another near-unanimous pick for USC from Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and Caitlin Clark. But Kirk Herbstreit, ever the contrarian, stood alone picking Washington. You love to see a little dissension in the ranks, right?
Then there was the Alabama at Mississippi State game, where Nick Saban, predictably, picked his former squad, Alabama. Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit agreed with him. But Desmond Howard and, again, Caitlin Clark both threw a curveball, picking Mississippi State. Clark going against Saban *twice*? That’s just wild.
On the other hand, some games saw surprising consensus. Everyone, including Caitlin Clark, picked UMass to beat Eastern Michigan. BYU got the unanimous nod over TCU, and Florida was the overwhelming favorite against Missouri. For Miami at Clemson, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, and Caitlin Clark all picked Miami, while Kirk Herbstreit abstained from picking since he was calling that game on ABC.
Week 5 is gonna be epic, no doubt. The GameDay crew, especially with Caitlin Clark in the mix, has given us a ton to think about. Will the favorites deliver, or will Clark’s bold Hawkeye pick shake up the Big Ten? These games are gonna set the tone for a bunch of teams moving forward, and we’re strapped in to see how it all unfolds!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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