ESPN 'College GameDay' Drops Surprise Announcement for Week 2

ESPN's "College GameDay" was a rousing success in Week 1, as the show's viewership numbers were through the roof . Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, and the rest of the crew traveled out to College Station to preview No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M. The preview show garnered 2.5 million viewers, including 3.2 million in the final hour.

The Week 1 broadcast saw a 47 percent increase in viewership from 2023 to 2024, making it the most-watched pre-November episode in the show's history. This sets the stage for an even bigger audience in Week 2.

"College GameDay" announced this week that legendary U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps would be the guest picker in Week 2. But that wasn't the only big news the show revealed.

On Thursday, "College GameDay" shared that they will have a special guest on its Week 2 broadcast. Will Ferrell will join the show in Ann Arbor, Michigan to help preview the biggest showdown of the weekend: No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan.

Ferrell is a well-known USC Trojans fan, and his Ron Burgundy character from the "Anchorman" film series has recently made several appearances in the sports world. Who knows? Ferrell might even bring Ron Burgundy to "College GameDay."

Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns are coming off an impressive 52-0 victory over Colorado State. Quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Arch Manning, the former five-star recruit, also saw some playing time in the blowout win, completing five of six pass attempts for 95 yards and a touchdown, while adding another score on the ground.

Michigan, on the other hand, struggled in its season opener but still secured a 30-10 win over Fresno State. In a surprising move, the Wolverines started former walk-on Davis Warren instead of Alex Orji, who many expected to take over for NFL first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. Warren finished his debut with 118 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Texas and Michigan seem to be heading in opposite directions, but the real test will come on Saturday when these college football powerhouses face off in Ann Arbor.

Catch "College GameDay" this Saturday at 9 am ET on ESPN. It's going to be a jam-packed show.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit Responds to Huge ‘College GameDay’ Week 1 Announcement