You know it’s a fall Saturday when you hear Big and Rich sing come to your city and you see ESPN’s College Gameday is live. The signs, the fans, the food, each week they try to encompass the school and the area they are visiting.

This year they have already announced where they will be the first week with stops in Pittsburgh and Columbus. They’ll be in Pittsburgh for the renewal of the Backyard Brawl between Pittsburgh and West Virginia on Thursday night in Week 1 (chances are you’ll be watching another game though) before making the short drive to Columbus. for ohio state and our Lady. Penn State fans, however, are used to the Gameday team making appearances at University Park. Last year they came to town for Penn State hosting Auburn which marked the ninth time they were at Happy Valley.

This year, however, we’re looking ahead and projecting plays that might be strong enough to earn coverage for Lee Corso and the team.

September 17: Auburn Tigers

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Location: Jordan – Hare Stadium (Auburn, AL)

Reasoning: Auburn is in a crowded SEC West, and non-conference play can sometimes make all the difference in the world. For them, this game will be essential for them as the season unfolds as well as for the team in general to see what their offense will look like led by running back Tanks Bigsby. For Penn State, this is a gigantic test drive in just the second week of the season. It’ll be a great test for a Penn State defense filling plenty of holes under new coordinator Manny Diaz.

Other notable games this week: Georgia-South Carolina, BYU-Oregon, state of michigan-Washington and Miami (FL)-Texas A&M

October 15: Michigan Wolverines

Credit: Chris Dunn/York Daily Record via USA TODAY NETWORK

Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, MI)

Reasoning: Michigan and Penn State has never disappointed no matter where the record teams might be. Michigan appears to have finally moved on after a successful 2021, and Penn State is also in a period of transition. Could Penn State manage a Michigan team that beat Ohio State last year or is the offense struggling and maybe forcing a quarterback change after this game? Countless possibilities to find out where Penn State could be and go from here.

Other notable games this week: USL–Florida, Alabama–Tennesseeand Stanford-Notre Dame

October 22: Minnesota Golden Gophers

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Location: Beaver Stadium (State College, Pennsylvania)

Reasoning: It was reported earlier this summer, Penn State would host Minnesota as they tried to force their way out of a White Out frame at Beaver Stadium. Gameday showed, especially Kirk Herbstreit, that they love being in town for White Out games. Minnesota may not be significant at this point in the season, but the White Out still holds a special place in the hearts of college football fans, regardless of fandom.

Other notable games this week: Ole Miss-LSU, Texas A&M-South Carolina, Texas-State of Oklahoma, and Iowa-State of Ohio

October 29: Ohio State Buckeyes

Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Location: Beaver Stadium (State College, Pennsylvania)

Reasoning: Now, obviously, College Gameday won’t be in State College’s back-to-back weeks, but this game might be the one to get them visiting. College Gameday has covered Penn State and Ohio State 11 times, which is tied for the most-visited game with Alabama-LSU. Could they make it the tiebreaker? It all depends on where these teams are on October 29.

Other notable games this week: Oklahoma-State of Iowa, State of Michigan-Michigan and Florida-Georgia

November 12: Maryland Terrapins

Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Location: Beaver Stadium (State College, Pennsylvania)

Reasoning: At this point in the season, Penn State could either be ready for something big or be cannon fodder for the Big Ten. If they are the latter, we could see them using Penn State to put Maryland above. With their quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, they know that name brings national vision. For Penn State, we may see the future of the program in Drew Allar at this point, which is yet another reason why they might stop here.

Other notable games this week: Alabama-Ole Miss and Washington-Oregon,