Paul Finebaum has voiced his frustration over ESPN’s surprising choice for College GameDay’s Week 3 location.
Instead of heading to Lexington, Kentucky, for the showdown between Georgia and Kentucky, College GameDay announced it would be traveling to Columbia, South Carolina, for the matchup between South Carolina and LSU.
Finebaum shared his thoughts on the “bizarre” decision during an appearance on The Matt Barrie Show on ESPN’s College Football YouTube channel, where he revealed that the original plan was to indeed head to Kentucky.
According to Finebaum, the possibility of GameDay coming to Lexington had generated significant excitement.
“I was in Lexington on Saturday,” Finebaum said. “You could go to Auburn, you could go to a lot of places where good football is being played… In Lexington, all the students were asking me, ‘You think GameDay will be here?’ GameDay was going to Lexington… they don’t go to Lexington but once every 20 years or so.”
The sudden decision to switch locations after South Carolina’s dominant 31-6 win over Kentucky puzzled Finebaum, especially considering South Carolina’s inconsistent start to the season.
“I had callers this week from Columbia say, ‘Hey, when do you think we’re gonna get rid of Shane Beamer?’” Finebaum remarked.
“They were as down on him as they could be; now they have College GameDay? I mean, that is one of the more bizarre GameDay choices in its history.”
South Carolina’s victory in Lexington was largely due to their defense, as they held Kentucky to just 183 total yards and only 44 passing yards despite trailing for much of the game.
The Gamecocks’ freshman standout Dylan Stewart, who added another sack to his total on Saturday, has been a key part of the team’s impressive pass rush.
While Finebaum may not understand the decision to highlight South Carolina-LSU, it’s clear that South Carolina’s defense will be the strength of the team going forward.
They have the potential to make waves in the SEC this season, starting with their highly anticipated Week 3 clash, regardless of Finebaum’s skepticism.
What are your thoughts on ESPN’s decision to have GameDay head to South Carolina instead of Kentucky???