Pat McAfee’s presence on College GameDay in Norman set the tone the moment the broadcast came on. The larger-than-life energy that makes him a lightning rod right alongside a ratings draw on a set otherwise built on steady analysis and tradition. In The Athletic’s audience survey, “48.9 percent of respondents said they did not like McAfee on ‘GameDay,’ compared to 30.1 percent who said they do” , a snapshot of why the same spark that fuels segments also divides viewers. The Week 2 stage in Norman put that edge back in the center of the sport’s biggest pregame show, with McAfee’s live-money kicking challenge ready again to swing from theater to payout in seconds.

The contest has quickly become a weekly tentpole, and Week 1 in Columbus showed why when an Ohio State student hit from d

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