ESPN’s College GameDay is a weekly staple for every college sports fan. David Anspaugh’s hit 1993 sports film Rudy is similarly iconic.
On Saturday, the two institutions were combined, and the results were sensational.
The American cinema classic, is based upon the true life story of former Notre Dame walk-on Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who lived out his dreams of playing for the Irish back the mid 1970s.
Actor Vince Vaughn, who played Jamie O'Hara in the film, joined the GameDay crew at South Bend as the guest picker of Saturday’s slate games. Fittingly, Vaughn brought all sports fans back to the early 90s when he appeared wearing the Fighting Irish varsity jacket he wore in the movie.
30 years ago, Vince Vaughn played @NDFootball tailback Jamie O'Hara in the classic 'Rudy'
— bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) September 23, 2023
Now on ESPN's @CollegeGameDay w/ @jess_sims, the letterman jacket still fits. It's Vaughn's 3rd visit to the show as guest picker. 🍀 pic.twitter.com/qDm2MjAOZ1
In front of the renowned “Touchdown Jesus” on Notre Dame’s campus, Vaughn sent the Irish fans into a frenzy while warming the hearts of the national television audience when he incorporated one of the most famous lines of the movie when making his selection for Saturday’s showdown between No. 6 Ohio State and No. 9 Notre Dame.
“The Buckeyes are for real. That being said I played for Notre Dame. I threw a pass at Notre Dame,” said Vaughn. “If I had half the heart of Rudy I would have been an All-American, instead of picking games up here with you guys…Play like a champion…the Irish will prevail today.”
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Vince Vaughn & @PatMcAfeeShow are rolling with the Irish ☘️#CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/x0kBOrMpzj
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 23, 2023
Sporting the blue and gold of the Fighting Irish, there was little doubt who Vaughn was going to predict would win. However, the way he delivered the selection was truly special and perfectly set the tone for Saturday’s top-10 matchup.
