{"id":8070,"date":"2015-10-15T21:59:15","date_gmt":"2015-10-16T01:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=8070"},"modified":"2015-10-16T10:12:57","modified_gmt":"2015-10-16T14:12:57","slug":"espn-college-gameday-to-jmu-is-a-real-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=8070","title":{"rendered":"ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY TO JMU IS A REAL THING!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: We’re not full of crap on this post, but we’re the JMUSB, not a real media site, and you’ll just have to trust us on the sourcing cause we’re not going to the trouble (plus Rob’s watching his Mets tonight and I’ve got to do the Elon preview).<\/p>\n

So in case you’ve been under a rock today or remain sadly Twitterless, this is freaking ridiculous (in the very best way), but the Dukes are legitimately under consideration for ESPN’s College Gameday next week for Homecoming versus the damned Ticks. Long story and we thought it was tongue-in-cheek until today, but for those that don’t know the show’s long-time producer, @LeeFitting, is a JMU alum, and next week’s slate of FBS games is potentially an all-time poo-poo platter. Fitting mentioned late Sunday, after Gameday announced they were headed to Ann Arbor this week for UM at MSU, that he “needed to bring Gameday to JMU before his time running the show was up.” We laughed. But then we look at next week’s FBS schedule scanning the list for great games and wouldn’t you know it, not hardly a nugget on there if Texas A&M at Ole Miss were to fizzle out. Seriously, it’s a perfect storm of awful games that word is may really break JMU’s way. Just to be thorough, there’s a potentially big Pac12 matchup between Cal and UCLA, but it’s on Friday (as is Temple at ECU). Michigan State, should they upset the favored Wolverines this weekend, actually hosts a possible one-loss Indiana, but it’s unlikely they’d stay in Michigan and essentially cover the Spartans two straight weeks, plus they were there Week 1 for the Oregon game. The biggest threat after Ole Miss\/TAMU is the Utah at USC matchup but a) USC plays as a road underdog at Notre Dame this weekend which could give them a third loss, b) ESPN may not really want to spend three normally fun hours on Saturday morning muddling around in the issues presented by USC’s recent troubles, and c) that game is a primetime Fox Sports property likely to bring the whole FS1 crew with it that may not really be in ESPN’s best interests.<\/p>\n

JMU officially confirmed today that they’ve been informed they’re on the “under consideration” list earlier today. We assume that means that ESPN gives the potential host schools a heads up for planning purposes. For those that think this is complete bulls*t, we might’ve agreed with you till today, but the truth is over the last few years Gameday has tried to go outside of FBS and off the mainstream college football radar a couple times a year. Most of us that follow FCS know they’ve been to North Dakota St. the last two years and they’ve even been to D3 Williams College for the 150th anniversary of their rivalry with Amherst. They love stories (Vad Lee’s second act), celebrity guest pickers (New Hall of Famer Charles Haley is scheduled to be in the ‘Burg next week), and of course record-setting, high-flying teams which the Dukes have clearly been so far.<\/p>\n

So all that being said, word is JMU is second on the list if Texas A&M at Ole Miss turns out not to mean as much as it could. Here’s what you are ROOTIN’ for in descending order of importance this weekend if you want this magical dream to come true:<\/p>\n

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  1. JMU needs to stomp Elon and keep rolling. Don’t forget this is absolutely the most important item.<\/li>\n
  2. Alabama needs to win at Texas A&M. Bama is favored by 4. 3:30 on CBS or<\/li>\n
  3. Memphis (5-0 and hosting the biggest game in decades) could upset Ole Miss. (noon ESPN), thus ending any playoff hopes for the Rebels. Ole Miss is a 10 pt. fave. This might even be more important than Bama.<\/li>\n
  4. It also wouldn’t hurt if Notre Dame keeps the USC dumpster fire roaring in South Bend. Notre Dame giving 7 and a hook. 7:30 on NBC.<\/li>\n
  5. An Arizona St. win over Utah would also be nice (10:00 p.m. on ESPN).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Gameday doesn’t usually announce till late Sunday, but the bottom line is we’ll likely have a really good idea by the time we reach our cars down in Burlington after the Dukes game. If JMU AND Alabama and\/or Memphis have won, we’re going to get a little loopy eating wings and watching that ND\/USC game somewhere near Elon and all of us should crank up every bit of social media pressure we can. Use #GAMEDAYTOJMU.<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    In conclusion, Roll damn Dukes! Roll Damn Tide! Roll Damn Tigers! And go ND (eww, but I can hold my nose in this case) and Sun Devils!<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    I mean, can you imagine?\"Corso\"<\/a><\/div>\n