Kirk Herbstreit joked that whenever the entire ESPN College GameDay panel picks one team in a matchup, they end up as the butt of the joke on social media if that team loses. So Herbstreit was happy that Pat McAfee was rocking with Oregon State in Saturday’s matchup between the Utah Utes and Beavers.

Because everyone else on the GameDay panel picked No. 12 Utah to beat the Beavers and move to 4-1. Here’s how the panel picked the game:

  • Desmond Howard: Utah
  • Christian Wilkins (guest picker): Utah
  • Pat McAfee: Oregon State
  • Kirk Herbstreit: Utah

Herbstreit said that he expects Utah to lean more on the ground game in the absence of tight end Brant Kuithe, but host Rece Davis cut in and said that Dalton Kincaid should be more than capable of moving into that No. 1 option role in the pass game.

On the Utah side of things, that’s the big story in the matchup. Kuithe was quarterback Cameron Rising’s favorite target to start the season, but he was injured in the first half last week against Arizona State and confirmed earlier this week by coach Kyle Whittingham to be lost for the season due to the injury.

Thomas Yassmin will move up the depth chart and get those snaps that would otherwise go to Kuithe, but Kincaid could get significantly more attention.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.