Chris Fallica questions College GameDay’s second Oregon visit: ‘Usually something special won out’

College GameDay is going back to Eugene.

The show announced Sunday it’s returning to Oregon for the Nov. 22 USC game, the second time this season GameDay has visited Autzen Stadium after being there in October for Oregon-Indiana. And not only did the decision draw plenty of criticism, but it also surprised Chris Fallica, the former ESPN college football betting analyst who spent years helping select GameDay destinations.

This surprises me. When I – along with other people no longer there – had an opportunity to do a show like JMU, Montana, DIII or whatever, we would ask “we can do something special or just go to another good game”. Usually something special won out. https://t.co/CGb3ZO5HsS

— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) November 16, 2025

This time, something special didn’t win out.

ESPN chose No. 6 Oregon hosting No. 16 USC over several FCS options that would’ve delivered exactly the kind of storylines GameDay has traditionally sought out at least once per season.

James Madison, ranked among the top Group of Five programs and sitting at 9-1, is hosting Washington State in what would’ve been the Dukes’ fourth GameDay appearance since 2015. JMU drew over 26,000 fans when the show visited Harrisonburg in 2023, setting the record for the largest GameDay crowd in the show’s 30-year road history. The atmosphere was electric enough that the show has made multiple return trips, and this week’s matchup carried legitimate playoff stakes for the Dukes.

But JMU got passed over. So did Montana-Montana State. No. 2 Montana (11-0) hosts No. 3 Montana State (9-2) Saturday in Missoula with the Big Sky championship and playoff seeding on the line. The winner gets home-field advantage through the FCS semifinals. The Brawl of the Wild has been played 123 times since 1903.

Harvard-Yale also got skipped. Harvard enters 9-0 and can clinch the Ivy League title with a win. More significantly, the Crimson would claim the conference’s first-ever FCS playoff berth since the Ivy League finally agreed to participate in the postseason. Yale (7-2) can steal both the title and the playoff spot with an upset thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Lehigh-Lafayette, meeting for the 161st time, carries stakes, too. Undefeated Lehigh (11-0) is positioned for a top-four seed and first-round bye in the FCS playoffs. Lafayette, fighting for its playoff life, can claim the Patriot League title outright with a win and likely sneak into the 24-team field.

All of those options got passed over for a second trip to Eugene in the same season.

GameDay used to treat its one FCS visit per year as an opportunity to spotlight programs and rivalries that don’t get the same national platform. Davis himself explained the show’s site selection philosophy in October, saying GameDay tries to balance “the best game” with “the best story” while managing what’s ahead on the schedule.

“You always try to go where the best story is for that week,” Davis told reporters in Salt Lake City. “And you try to judge what the buzz is.”

This week, the buzz apparently pointed toward a safe Big Ten play with playoff implications over a Montana rivalry with FCS championship stakes, an Ivy League team making history, or a Group of Five program that has consistently delivered massive crowds. ESPN went with the marquee names and the proven commodity. Something special didn’t make the cut.