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Some folks might think college football pregame shows, specifically ESPN's College GameDay, get too much attention -- but that's just not true.
When the show focuses on your team and visits your town, it means that team matters.
That's the case again Saturday in Happy Valley.
As if No. 6 Oregon visiting No. 3 Penn State for the first time since 1964 was not enough, and as if a night game and White Out were not enough, the presence of GameDay on the Old Main lawn will ensure a daylong celebration of college football.
Members of ESPN's team began arriving in the middle of the week, working to set the stage, literally, for GameDay. Plus, the show's visit meant the search for feature stories and on-air partners and presentations viewers will see when the show airs from 9 a.m. to noon.
This marks the second year in a row and 12th time overall that GameDay has originated from Penn State. Last year's location was alongside the Bryce Jordan Center, just south of Beaver Stadium.
GameDay made five consecutive visits to Penn State from 2017 to 2021.
Maybe certain ESPN analysts rub you wrong, maybe three hours of pregame talk, starting 10 and a half hours before the game itself, seems like a lot. Those are fair perspectives.
They're just not as meaningful or weighty as having the show on site. Kudos to Penn State for earning the attention. Whatever the game's outcome, hosting the show puts the program and university in a position many others would like to have.
Perry's perspective
NBC Sports college football analyst Joshua Perry knows a bit about playing at Penn State during a White Out.
He was a member of two Ohio State teams that played in the game at Beaver Stadium (2012, 2014) -- and those experiences influence his list of the best environments in which to play in the Big Ten Conference.
"Happy Valley is No. 1 on my list," Perry says. "Never been somewhere quite like it. The thing about those Penn State teams is they weren't really supposed to be that good because they had the scholarship reduction.
"And that environment certainly changed the way we felt about our chances. It's ... it's loud. Our offense became disjointed. On defense, when their offense hits a big play, you can feel the momentum shift. Like, it's tangible at that point. I loved it."
Perry, an analyst for B1G Saturday Night, which will precede Saturday night's game broadcast, would put Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium second on his list, ahead of Michigan State.
He said the conference offers some "phenomenal" stadium environments, with one slightly above the others that he experienced.
"I would say Penn State is kind of in a realm of its own in a lot of ways, and part of that's the fan buy-in, too, with just how they do the White Out and the investment that they have with all of that," he said.
Comparing QBs
Perry has worked with two former Penn State quarterbacks during his broadcasting career.
He previously hosted a podcast with Christian Hackenberg and his big stable of NBC colleagues includes Michael Robinson, who will be on site at Beaver Stadium while Perry works from the network's studio in Connecticut on Saturday night.
"Oh, man, I'll start with M-Rob, because I see him all the time. Lot of energy, you have to be prepared for everything, because he will keep you on your toes," Perry said. "He can take a show anywhere and have something interesting to say. He's a great teammate from the standpoint of he is not afraid to collaborate.
"He doesn't mind if somebody else is the star of the show. Plus, he's just a really fun personality to be around, like, a guy who you enjoy being on the road with when you're not working, because he's just fun and has great stories,"
It's been a bit since Perry worked with Hackenberg, who now cohosts Penn State's streaming pregame show.
"Hack is my dude. I really enjoyed what we got to do together," Perry said. "He is a very thoughtful, measured, dialed-in person who is a football junkie, and so we could really dig into the nitty-gritty, and we had a format that allowed for it."
Sideline squad
Along with Michael Robinson, NBC's on-site analysts include Jordan Cornette, a former Notre Dame men's basketball player whose duties for the network include college basketball, college football and golf, and Matt Cassell, a former USC quarterback who was a member of national championship teams there before a 14-year NFL career.
If you're inside Beaver Stadium or watching on TV, one thing you'll notice about the sideline is that it's crowded. Along with both teams, there's always an abundance of media, as well as a surprisingly large group of hangers-on -- that could be recruits, media and donors/fans.
It must be a hassle for the media members who are really working to deal with all the clutter. At the same time, Penn State's not about to miss a chance to get an important recruit on the field for this week's game, or to attempt to monetize a relationship by offering a donor such a one-of-a-kind experience.
Notable
– The NBC Sports broadcast team -- Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen -- might be the best in big-time college football. Even if you're harshly critical, they're no worse than No. 2 among major network broadcast teams.
– At least part of the White Out's lore and impact has come from the associated visuals of a night game in the stadium. With construction on the west side, though, there may be a few less fireworks and things might look slightly different this year.
– Yes, this week's game is the 409th in Beaver Stadium history.
Sampsell covers the broadcast end of Penn State football for Gameday. He can be reached at stevesampsell@gmail.com
Worth watching
Rutgers at Minnesota: 12 p.m. Saturday, BTN
Ohio State at Washington: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
LSU at Ole Miss: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Alabama at Georgia: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC