Texas Alum Glen Powell Named Guest Picker for ESPN's College GameDay vs. Ohio State

Steve Sarkisian said that the matchup between the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 4 Texas Longhorns this weekend could be one of the most-watched college football games of the year.

And typically for such a significant event, ESPN's College GameDay broadcast is there to get the audience ready.

This week, the crew will be on the grounds of the Forty Acres for the rematch of the College Football Playoff semifinal from two seasons ago and the 14-7 final in last year's season-opener - both contests won by Ohio State.

Texas, however, has its home crowd and likely scorching temperatures playing into an advantage against the Buckeyes.

In the guest picker chair, they'll also welcome Hollywood actor Glen Powell, a UT alum.

Powell's comedy television series, Chad Powers - which portrays an ex-quarterback disguising himself to return to college for another shot at playing the game he loves (not too uncommon from what has gone on in modern-day, now that I think about it) - is recently released on streaming.

The die-hard Longhorns fan is also known for his role co-starring with Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You and in Top Gun: Maverick.

READ MORE: Texas QB Arch Manning 'Excited' for Revenge Game vs. Ohio State

Powell previously served as a guest picker on ESPN's show when it aired from Austin ahead of Texas' matchup against then-top-ranked Alabama in 2022. The Longhorns would lose to the Crimson Tide, 20-19. Powell had chosen incorrectly, but finished above .500 in his predictions on the day with a 7-5 record.

Longhorns fans questioned whether ESPN would go with two other notable Texas-bred celebrities in actor Matthew McConaughey or world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler - both of whom, however, have been guest pickers before during ESPN's several trips to Austin over the years.

"What an exciting time for college football," head coach Sarkisian said to begin his pre-game press conference on Thursday.

Sarkisian emphasized his appreciation for this week's media focus staying on the game rather than the extracurriculars plaguing college athletics, which were more evident than ever as this offseason tredged along.

"This week we've talked about college football and a game as opposed to lawsuits and TROs and injunctions and everything else. I think that's a credit to both programs.

"We've touched on earlier in the week the job Ryan Day has done with that program at Ohio State since he's taken over. The amount of success he's had, the amount of players that have gone on to the NFL, the roster he's assembled this year, to go along with the coaching staff he's assembled.

"And we feel the same way about our program."

ESPN's College GameDay airs on the network beginning at 8 a.m. CT.

The Longhorns and Buckeyes kick off at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.