LSU Football has a long history with College Gameday, hosting the show 14 times in Baton Rouge and appearing 35 times in home and away games. The Tigers boast the 5th best record in Gameday appearances among all NCAA teams with a 22-13 overall record and a win this season at South Carolina with Gameday on campus. Part of College Gameday's entertainment value is the guest picker representing the host school, which is a surprise announced on the broadcast live every week. Here are a few educated guesses at who the guest picker could be for this week's show in Baton Rouge.
1. Joe Burrow + Ja'Marr Chase
Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase would be an exciting combination of pickers! Burrow won the Heisman Trophy while at LSU in 2019 and along with Chase led them to an undefeated National Championship winning season in 2019. They also played in a Super Bowl together as teammates for the Cincinnati Bengals and remain hugely popular in Louisiana and beloved by LSU fans. The Bengals play on Thursday Night Football this week, which would allow Burrow and Chase to be available for the game Saturday Night in Baton Rouge.
2. Kim Mulkey
Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey was a Louisiana legend and prominent LSU fan even before she became the head coach in 2020 and led the Tigers to their first ever National Championship in 2023. Her team has a home game at the PMAC Friday Night which would allow her to be in Baton Rouge for a Gameday Appearance, which her son Kramer Robertson, a former LSU Baseball star, is lobbying for on X.
3. Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq is a frequent fixture on the LSU sidelines for many sports, most recently manning the t-shirt cannon at the football team's last home game against Ole Miss. He played at LSU from 1989-1992, and went on to become an NBA Hall of Famer and an integral part of the TNT Inside the NBA cast in his post-playing days. Shaq will be a part of TNT's Tuesday NBA broadcast, but does not have any publicly scheduled TV appearances for the rest of the week. He could be available to be in Baton Rouge for Gameday.
4. Ed Orgeron
Could former LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron be asked to be the guest picker for this important game for LSU? The fans online certainly seem to think so. Coach O helped successfully transition the Tigers to a more modern offensive philosophy after the Les Miles era, culminating in the 2019 National Championship. Although he struggled in the seasons after and was fired in 2021, Coach O remains a beloved figure around Louisiana for his contributions to LSU. He is not currently coaching, and if willing, could be available to be the picker on College Gameday.
Any number of notable LSU alumni and fans could be called upon to be the guest picker for College Gameday this Saturday. LSU will look to take the momentum from the on-campus atmosphere and the magic of a night game in Tiger Stadium to beat the rival Crimson Tide and take back control of the SEC race. The game kicks off Saturday night at 6:30 PM CST on ABC.