ESPN College Gameday 2018: Week 8 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

The ESPN College GameDay crew is headed to Pullman for the first time.  

Thank a bigger-than-expected clash between the No. 25 Washington State Cougars and the No. 12 Oregon Ducks, which not only looks like a high-flying affair with season-long implications but features a Heisman Trophy favorite under center. 

ESPN College GameDay on the West coast means the broadcast will under the bright lights while it's still dark out—and so will the Pac-12 contest itself later that night. 

Here's everything to know about the preview show's debut in Pullman, as well as the heavyweight encounter.   

College GameDay Week 8 Info

Date: Saturday, October 20

Time (ET): 9 a.m. to noon; game is at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Martin Stadium

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Preview

The long-awaited arrival of College GameDay hasn't gone unnoticed by Washington State head coach Mike Leach. 

"We're certainly excited to have it, and our students are excited to have it," Leach said, according to STATS LLC (via ESPN.com). "As a team, it's kind of business as usual, but I think it's a really good opportunity for our fans and a good showcase for our university and our team."

Business for the Cougars has been great regardless of the national attention. Sitting on a 5-1 mark with the lone loss a three-point defeat on the road at USC, Washington State looks like a team capable of playing with Oregon and getting a huge leg up in the north of the Pac-12. 

Over the six games this season, the Cougars have put up 28 or more points in each contest and dipped above the 40-point mark three times. Gardner Minshew has been efficient under center, completing 68.7 percent of his attempts with 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions, fully compensating for the offense predictably mostly ignoring the running game. 

Young Kwak/Associated Press

Of course, Oregon is the bigger part of the reason this game is under the bright spotlight. 

In his first year as head coach at Oregon, Mario Cristobal has the Ducks cruising at 5-1 mostly thanks to Justin Herbert, who has 17 touchdowns and five picks on a casual 168 attempts. The Ducks swing the other way compared to Washington State's Air Raid approach, having rushed it 278 times on the way to 1,257 yards, a 4.5 per-carry average and 16 scores, with four names boasting 30 or more totes. 

Herbert soaks up all the attention, though, because he looks like an early contender to be the first quarterback off the board in next year's NFL draft. 

Former Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti told Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel the following: "I would take him No. 1, I think he can do it all. The last guy I can remember who gave me that feeling?" Aliotti asked. "Luck was one of them. Elway is a guy who really stood out. They could throw the bullets across the field and make throws on the line."

Herbert is the reason Oregon has come out ahead in two consecutive games against ranked opponents, the latest an overtime win over then-No. 7 Washington, 30-27. The lone blemish on the schedule came before the two-game tear, an overtime loss to then-No. 7 Stanford—a forgivable offense, to say the least. 

Compare that to Washington State, which has yet to encounter a ranked team, though USC technically classifies given its 4-2 mark. As always, Saturday will come down to Herbert, who has to go into hostile territory with all the pressure in the world on his throwing arm. 

Prediction

Thomas Boyd/Associated Press

Despite the strength of its schedule and the performance of those under center, Washington State enters this one favored by three points, according to OddsShark. 

But it isn't wise to bet against Herbert. 

Asked to uplift the team against Washington, Herbert tossed a pair of scores, even overcoming a hit than got an opponent ejected. While the Cougars have won three in a row in this series, it came at a time Oregon was struggling to find a starter under center.

Those days are gone. The Ducks know what the Cougars want to do offensively, and Herbert has the talent to play good defense by keeping his offense on the field before putting points on the board. 

Prediction: Oregon 35, Washington State 27