Enter Pat McAfee. OK, so the former Indianapolis Colts punter lives in Indy and his wife is a Hoosier, but the ESPN personality was on an island this morning picking IU to beat Oregon on the ‘College GameDay’ set.
That faith didn’t go unnoticed by the seventh-ranked Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0). Quarterback Fernando Mendoza made sure to give McAfee some love following Indiana’s 30-20 win over the Ducks (5-1, 2-1).
‘I want to give a quick shoutout to my guy Pat McAfee for shouting us out because he’s friends with my guy Steve Levy, and Boston Connor. Let’s go. Go Hoosiers!’ Mendoza told CBS’ Jenny Dell.
Dell quipped back, ‘ESPN, CBS, whatever. We’ll go with that.’
McAfee’s pick Saturday morning came with a little misdirection.
“Fernando Mendoza has no chance to come in here,” McAfee said. “I love Oregon. I love Dan Lanning. I was shirtless with that man this morning… But my wife is a Hoosier, through and through. And so am I, baby! Give me the Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers! Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers! Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers! In the biggest win of (Curt) Cignetti’s career, the Indiana Hoosiers tell the world, ‘We’re for real.’”
Indeed, it appears they are.
‘Indiana gets the win today, changes the trajectory of all of college sports,’ McAfee continued. ‘Congratulations to Cig and the boys.