Stanley Cup champ Matthew Tkachuk makes his College GameDay picks, including UM-UF
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk has spoken.
And to little surprise, he expects a big showing from the hometown Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night.
Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers’ star winger with a boisterous personality and is unafraid to speak his mind, was the guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay live from the University of Miami campus.
When it came time to pick the primetime matchup between the fourth-ranked Hurricanes (3-0) and Florida Gators (1-2), Tkachuk was firm in what he thinks is going to happen.
“If Florida is going to have any chance, they got to run it a little bit more than last week,” Tkachuk said. “The only issue is ... they have no chance at all. It’s all Canes.”
Tkachuk then held up a Miami hockey jersey after announcing his pick.
And while the focus on this day is on college football, Tkachuk’s presence is a reminder that hockey is right around the corner. The Panthers open the season on Oct. 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks as they attempt to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-1983.
“We want to bring another parade here,” Tkachuk said.
As for Tkachuk’s other picks...
-A WWE pick between John Cena and Brock Lesnar for ESPN’s WWE Wrestlepalooza: Tkachuk picks John Cena
“You can’t see me. The time is now,” Tkachuk said, using Cena’s catchphrase.
-Syracuse vs. Clemson, an against the spread pick: Tkachuk picks Syracuse to cover the spread as a 16.5-point underdog.
-South Carolina at No. 23 Missouri, another against the spread pick: Tkachuk, a St. Louis guy, picks Missouri to cover the 10.5-point spread.
-Kent State at No. 7 FSU in another against the spread pick: Tkachuk picks Florida State the 45.5-point spread, much to the chagrin of the Hurricanes fans.
BUT Tkachuk made something clear that should make Canes fans happy.
“Before the crowd turns on me, I want Florida State to win by 50 this week and I want them to win by 50 next week,” Tkachuk said, “because the Canes are up north in two weeks [to play FSU on Oct. 4] and they’ll kick the shit out of them.”
-No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma: Tkachuk picks Oklahoma, calling the Sooners’ defense “a wagon.”
-SMU at TCU: Tkachuk picks TCU.
-No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana: Tkachuk picks Illinois.
-No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah: Tkachuk picks Utah.
-No. 21 Michigan at Nebraska: Tkachuk picks Michigan.
“I did do homework for the first time since ninth grade,” Tkachuk said. “I asked around a lot, talked to some experts, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go with your gut.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 12:03 PM.
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