Entertainment kicked off before the break of dawn on Saturday when the College GameDay made its way to Eugene for the 13th time. The Oregon Duck would arrive on a horse, and Dan Lanning would go shirtless as his squad geared up to remain undefeated for the season. The proceedings, though, would feel a little incomplete mid-way through.

After three decades of presence on GameDay, Saturdays don’t feel the same without Kirk Herbstreit breaking down the major games. But in Eugene this week, fans got a partial taste of it for a second time in a row. The five-time Sports Emmy Award winner had to leave the sets early in the top-10 clash between the No. 3 Oregon Ducks and No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers. He was packing up mid-show for another schedule, and ESPN VP, Bill Hofheimer, summed up what the toughness looked like.

“This is the second straight year, @KirkHerbstreitis leaving @CollegeGameDay in Eugene a bit early to make it to Dallas to call the Red River Rivalry game. In all, Kirk is traveling 5,400+ miles this football weekend,” he revealed on X. 

It was basically a cross-country sprint for Kirk Herbstreit on Saturday, or rather, for most of the week. 

Herbstreit began his ‘all-time week’ when he flew from Nashville to New York on Wednesday for Eagles at Giants on TNF on Prime. Then, Thursday night, he flew to Oregon for the GameDay, landed at 6 on Friday morning, and joined the crew for the show 24 hours later. But as one of ESPN’s most popular color analysts, Herbstreit couldn’t miss the 121st Red River Rivalry game, which was 1612 miles away on the same day. So the panel and the program complied.

In the clip shown by ESPN, Herbstreit was being driven away by the Oregon Ducks mascot on his motorcycle and then got into a car that was headed to the airport. Even his dog, Peter, joined him for the trip. As Hofheimer mentioned, this wasn’t the first time the award-winning analyst was doing this. 

Last season, during Week 7, he was in Eugene for College GameDay. But as the No. 1 Texas Longhorns and No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners faced each other three and a half hours away (by flight), Herbstreit was forced to pack up mid-way. This year, he will be watching No.6 Oklahoma take on the No. 21 Texas Longhorns in a rivalry that hasn’t faltered since 1900.

But again, following his commentary, Herbstreit will be flying back to his home in Nashville on the very same night. As difficult as the schedule sounds, though, the analyst isn’t complaining. “I’ve tried to stay incredibly grateful and positive…It’s so easy to complain… but once you accept that nobody cares, you don’t need to complain,” he has said in the past. 

Even after all the chaos, Herbstreit ensured that he remained a part of the GameDay crew at Eugene by joining the group from the car on the way to the airport and promising to make his weekly picks on the flight. The guy truly lives and breathes football. 

Dallas prepares for QB battle, Manning struggles, and defensive power clash

As the game approaches, the Red River Rivalry hype, which was advertised for months as a battle between John Mateer and Arch Manning, is turning out to be exactly that way. Manning still struggles to find his rhythm and bears the burden of his legendary name. For him, every snap has had more mental pressure than physical. However, Mateer’s hand injury initially kept him from participating in full practice, so Oklahoma fans and Vegas oddsmakers are left wondering who will really start. But since he was out practicing, there is a high probability that he’ll play. Mateer is “going through his normal protocol,” according to Brent Venables, so as a backup, Michael Hawkins Jr. may start.

Even if Hawkins is chosen, Mateer’s leadership will be difficult to replicate. Although Hawkins threw three touchdowns in a 44-0 victory over Kansas State, Texas is truly a solid opponent. Mateer’s ability to motivate teammates, control the offense, and extend plays has been the backbone of Oklahoma’s 5-0 lead in the season. Manning, however, hasn’t exactly silenced his critics till now. He already has five interceptions in five games and the 94th-highest completion rate across the country. Even though Texas is favored by 2.5 points, the line may soon shift in Oklahoma’s advantage as Mateer looks ready to start.

But Oklahoma really excels on defense. When it comes to the front-seven, Jim Nagy has been outspoken, tweeting that 48% of opponents’ plays have ended in 0 yards or less through Week 7. Under Venables’ leadership, the Sooners have become a quarterback’s nightmare, as this team leads all Power 4 teams in sacks with 21. “The whole thing behind that mindset is this… No matter what, we’re here to play,” said senior DT Gracen Halton. Venables understands Texas is not Kansas State and wants his squad ready for the Red River Rivalry game, so even with Manning leading the team, he isn’t taking any chances.