ESPN College Gameday 2019: Week 4 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

Fresh off making a first-ever visit to Iowa State to see Iowa escape in an 18-17 thriller, the ESPN College GameDay crew didn't have a tough decision on their hands for Week 4.

Thank the presence of No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Georgia on Saturday's schedule.

There are several games between ranked teams on the slate, yet few have as much intrigue as the battle set to unfold in Athens.

Only the third meeting between these programs, there are big College Football Playoff implications here as Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Maria Taylor, David Pollack and the crew preview what could end up being the game of the year.

College GameDay Week 4 Info

Date: Saturday, September 21

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

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA

Watch: CBS

Live Stream: CBS Sports Network

Preview

Georgia has eyes for the top of the SEC and a potential bout with Alabama, and it hasn't provided any reason to think otherwise.

The outcomes on the way to the Bulldogs' 3-0 start are, in a word, staggering:

• 30-6
• 63-17
• 55-0

Granted, programs like Murray State and Arkansas State weren't going to put up massive fights. The first score, against Vanderbilt, at least came against something akin to game competition. The Bulldogs still drummed up 323 yards and two scores on the ground while averaging 8.1 yards per carry, not to mention a defense that held the Commodores to an average of 3.9 rushing yards and 3.4 passing yards.

Jake Fromm has sat comfortably behind a strong offensive line and boasts 601 yards and five touchdowns with a completion percentage of an even 75. The running game behind him has 860 yards and 11 scores on a 7.6 average.

Fromm has one of the more interesting story angles going into this one because he was the starter for Georgia's second meeting with the Fighting Irish. But he has come a long way from the fledgling signal-caller who threw for 141 yards with one touchdown and a pick in a one-point escape.

"There's a world of difference," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said, according to Chip Towers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He was a young, nervous, composed freshman [then]. Now he's a confident, experienced junior. And he continues to get better. He makes good decisions."

Rest assured Notre Dame knows just how much the 21-year-old has changed over the years. And the program's wins aren't less impressive by any significant stretch thanks to outcomes of 35-17 over Louisville and 66-14 over New Mexico.

The relatively close call against the Cardinals raised a few alarm bells. But on the road, the Fighting Irish still ran for 230 yards and four scores on a 5.5 average and forced three turnovers, with a bad 5-of-12 mark on third down perhaps the biggest concern.

Through two games, quarterback Ian Book has completed 61.7 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and no picks, and the ground game behind him averages nearly five yards per carry. Six targets have caught scores already, which emphasizes the spread-it-around attack.

Book isn't too concerned about his team's perceived underdog status, either:

That sort of mentality seems like a necessity going into an engagement with an SEC powerhouse such as Georgia.

This one presumably has more at stake for Notre Dame in the CFP process as it is. The program's remaining schedule isn't overwhelming, and the voters tend to be more forgiving toward SEC teams playing tough conference schedules.

While a must-win for both teams, it's hard not to feel some urgency on Notre Dame's part.

Prediction

John Bazemore/Associated Press

This one has Georgia written all over it.

These Bulldogs have been a bully through three contests. Averaging 7.6 yards per carry is bordering on absurd. And it doesn't help that the Notre Dame defense looked shaky in this area, allowing 249 yards and two scores on a 5.3 average to Louisville and then another 212, two and 4.6, respectively, to New Mexico.

Notre Dame has too much leaning on one player too. Book has looked great under center, but he's also tied for the team lead in rushing with 127 yards and two scores while averaging 5.5 per-carry. An SEC defense like Georgia isn't a stranger to shutting down dual-threat types while keying on an opponent's best player.

When it comes down to pick time, it's hard to ignore the conference and recruiting class strengths, let alone Georgia's strength where Notre Dame seems to be weakest.

Prediction: Georgia 35, Notre Dame 24