ESPN College GameDay 2018: TV Schedule, Predictions and Location for Week 3

After soaking in a nail-biting affair in Week 2, the ESPN College GameDay crew capitalizes on a heavyweight matchup Saturday, when it travels to Texas.

There, a clash with season-long implications occurs between the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs, two teams with undefeated marks after two blowouts apiece with shared championship aspirations.

Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and the rest of the crew were on hand for a classic between Clemson and Texas A&M the week prior, a 28-26 win for the Tigers. Another matchup with potentially huge consequences, Ohio State-TCU could raise the bar even further for ESPN's flagship program. 

College GameDay Week 3 Info

Date: Saturday, September 15

Time (ET): 9 a.m. to noon; game is at 8 p.m.

Location: AT&T Stadium

Watch: ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Preview

It's only fitting that these two get to have their dance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, even if TCU probably saw how great it was for Texas A&M to host its big game at Kyle Field.

That said, TCU head coach Gary Patterson is doing his best to downplay the importance of one game.

"It's win or lose, and then your season is going forward or getting over with," Patterson said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "The worst thing we could do at TCU is put all of our balls in one basket. If you can win it, you're going to be part of that 1/8playoff 3/8 conversation. If you don't win it, you don't."

This game-at-a-time approach has been reflected in the Horned Frogs' performances this year, a 55-7 thumping of Southern before overcoming a slow start to sail past SMU 42-12.

In the latter of the two wins, KaVontae Turpin returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown and led the Horned Frogs in receiving with four catches for 64 yards and a score, setting a record in the process:

Turpin is the heart of the offense, but it sure doesn't hurt that quarterback Shawn Robinson is a dual-threat player who helped key the running game piling up 239 yards and three touchdowns on a 5.8 per-carry average.

For top NFL draft prospect Nick Bosa, this Horned Frogs attack is one of the most talented his Buckeyes will face all year:

Bosa's Buckeyes haven't exactly been looking ahead to this matchup, either. The season started with a 77-31 dismissal of Oregon State followed by a 52-3 rout of Rutgers. Dwayne Haskins tossed four scores in the latter, while his ground game drummed up 225 yards and two more scores on a 5.6 average. Bosa, as usual, had a sack and led the Buckeyes in tackles.

The lack of Urban Meyer on the sidelines hasn't hindered the Buckeyes, but it will be interesting to see how his guys react to the huge stage Saturday night. For both teams, the just-another-game mantra remains the approach regardless of venue.

Prediction

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

OddsShark shows that bookmakers have the Buckeyes as 13-point favorites here, and there is a reason for that.

This number has only blossomed since opening because Bosa's defense should have the Buckeyes coming out ahead without too many problems. Turpin is an incredible talent, but the Horned Frogs offense doesn't have the ability to air it out effectively to keep things balanced.

The same doesn't apply to Ohio State, which already has Haskins on a roll and a deep depth chart of capable rushers. Meyer or not, the Buckeyes should have plenty of supporters making the trip to Arlington for an event like this, so chalk it up as an advantage TCU won't enjoy.

It all adds up to a comfortable Ohio State win ahead of Meyer's return before heading into Big Ten play at the end of September.

Prediction: Ohio State 40, TCU 24