Pat McAfee didn’t hold back when it came to interacting with Caitlin Clark, even offering an apology for his playful antics directed at the Indiana Fever player.
Clark appeared as the guest picker on ESPN’s “College GameDay” at her alma mater, the University of Iowa, ahead of the No. 14 Hawkeyes’ showdown against No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday.
Fresh from a disappointing playoff exit—her Fever lost to the Aces after three games—Clark faced a bit of a backlash when she chose rival Iowa State to beat West Virginia. However, she quickly turned things around by selecting Iowa to upset Ohio State.
“You guys know who I’m picking,” Clark declared confidently. “We’re gonna have Julian Sayin rattled today. Stadium’s gonna go crazy; everyone better be loud. I’m going Hawkeyes.”
Next up was McAfee’s turn to weigh in, and true to form, the former Colts punter and now ESPN star didn’t disappoint. He took off his blue blazer and then struggled a bit as he attempted to remove his shirt, getting caught up momentarily with the cuffs around his wrists.
“Caitlin, I apologize to be like this in front of you,” he said candidly. “But when it calls, it calls. The football Gods have called for me to get shirtless in front of these fantastic people.”
He ultimately chose Ohio State to win the day’s big matchup, adding, “And I’m gonna put my shirt back on, walk over to Kinnick, and watch the Ohio State Buckeyes get a huge win. There’s no way the Buckeyes lose two games in the first five weeks. I love Iowa; I still think there’s a road to the playoffs… but today it’s O-H-I-O! I love you Caitlin, you’re the best.”
Clark, who opted to skip the Fever’s exit interviews to participate in the event, seemed unfazed by McAfee’s antics and took it all in stride.
The Fever’s season concluded with a 94-83 defeat against the Aces just a couple of days prior.
