College Gameday coming to Tuscaloosa this weekend for Vandy

[RollTide_HTTR]

We already have CNS--they're just trying to even it up BUT , Theo Von, WHO DAT!

By that standard they should do the same to Michigan and Ohio State with Desmond and Kirk Herbstreit.

It's hardly close to the end of the world but I find it annoying.

 

[81usaf92]

1) I know I get it. But then again Theo Von is hardly apoltical.

I know but you know why that wasn’t an issue and Collins would

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I’d love for Ingram to be a guest picker but it’s probably not possible with him working for Fox Sports.

I’m not sure a former player has come back and attended games as much Mark.

He LOVES Bama.

It would be fun seeing him interact with CNS and the rest of the panel.

 

[81usaf92]

You can look him up on YouTube. He is an unfunny comedian hack and he recently made the news by joking about killing himself when he bombed on stage.

He is horrible and is exactly what I think of if you combine Larry the cable guy, Jake Paul, and a Georgia fan together

 

[DzynKingRTR]

He is horrible and is exactly what I think of if you combine Larry the cable guy, Jake Paul, and a Georgia fan together

that is a perfect description of him

 

[CrimsonBloodn62]

He is horrible and is exactly what I think of if you combine Larry the cable guy, Jake Paul, and a Georgia fan together

In other words, I'm not missing anything.

 

[BhamToTexas]

They wanted a Vandy guy, plain and simple. They don't do that other places.

 

[CoolBreeze]

He is horrible and is exactly what I think of if you combine Larry the cable guy, Jake Paul, and a Georgia fan together

Don't go putting Larry into that pile of dung now.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

They wanted a Vandy guy, plain and simple. They don't do that other places.

According to Rece Davis it had a lot to do with his online following. Apparently he has "millions" of followers and RD said those are millions of eyes that would be watching the show. I'm not sure I completely believe that rationale because normally, when they do Gameday at a campus, the guest picker is someone rooting FOR the home team, not the dang visitors.

 

[Bubbaloo]

By that standard they should do the same to Michigan and Ohio State with Desmond and Kirk Herbstreit.

It's hardly close to the end of the world but I find it annoying.

Agreed!

 

[bamafaninbham]

I find it hard to believe they couldn't have found anyone. I know why they won't do Kaitlan Collins even though I think she would be perfect. But still, Juilo just retired, Josh Jacobs is on a bye, and then there are a ton of other options for former players (McCarron, Mount cody, etc). I think Justin Thomas has done it before but he's a good pick, could go with an NBA player (Branond Miller, Herb Jones, etc), Nate Oats, and while idc about James Spann at least he would be connected to Alabama.

I could go on and on. I have a hard time believing everyone said no. There are some other political people that could work and a few celebrities that at least have some connection (Channing Tatum, Condoleezza Rice).

Anyway, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things but it is a little annoying the guest picker is going to pick Vandy.

You are right. It doesn't really matter a bit. But ESPN doesn't do this crap to other host schools. It is always a home team homer, or at least someone remotely connected to the program. If I remember the 6-3 game of the century in Tuscaloosa had a LSU homer picking. Whatever. I shouldn't care because Gameday isn't something I even watch every week. Just feel like it's a slap in the face to my University.

 

[bravo6]

I’m not sure who Theo Von is, honestly.

I had to ask at the office . . .

And I still don't know.

 

[81usaf92]

You are right. It doesn't really matter a bit. But ESPN doesn't do this crap to other host schools. It is always a home team homer, or at least someone remotely connected to the program. If I remember the 6-3 game of the century in Tuscaloosa had a LSU homer picking. Whatever. I shouldn't care because Gameday isn't something I even watch every week. Just feel like it's a slap in the face to my University.

Brian Wilson only got the nod in 2011 because a few bama guys said no and they needed someone.

Again it’s more that Alabama doesn’t have alot of famous fans and the former players from the 80’s and 90’s don’t move the needle in terms of ratings and/or don’t want to be bothered at coming back for a 10 minute segment on tv. So most of the time it’s not really a great guest picker when Tuscaloosa is involved

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

Picking an opposing team's fan for Gameday appears to be unprecedented. From my love/hate relationship with ChatGPT (love because I get so much info so fast; hate because, well, rabbit holes!):

Isaiah - In the last 100 episodes of ESPN's college gameday, how often has the celebrity guest picker been a fan of the team visiting the Gameday location that day?

ChatGPT - Short answer: almost never. Using ESPN/Wikipedia episode logs for 2023–2025 (which list the weekly “guest picker” by site), the guest was aligned with the host school or a neutral/local figure every time I could verify—and never a clear, dyed-in-the-wool fan of the visiting team.

Isaiah - Who was the celebrity guest picket the last time College Gameday was at Ohio State and at Michigan?

ChatGPT - Here’s what I found:

• Ohio State (most recent GameDay on campus): the guest picker was A.J. Hawk. Athlon Sports+2Eleven Warriors+2
• Michigan (most recent GameDay in Ann Arbor): the guest picker was Michael Phelps. Saturday Down South+2SwimSwam+2

Isaiah - What's Michael Phelps' connection to Michigan?

ChatGPT - Good catch — it’s a subtle but real connection. Michael Phelps isn’t a Michigan alumnus, but he trained at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2008 while his longtime coach, Bob Bowman, was head of Michigan’s men’s swimming program. Phelps joined “Club Wolverine,” a professional training group based at U-M, and lived and trained in Ann Arbor for several years between Olympic cycles.
He’s often described as having “adopted Michigan” during that period — he wore Michigan gear, attended football games, and was a visible figure on campus — but he was never enrolled as a student. Essentially:

Coach at Michigan → Training base at Michigan → Honorary Wolverine status.

So when College GameDay visited Ann Arbor, picking him as the celebrity guest was a way of tapping into a local sports legend with Michigan ties, even if not a born-and-bred Wolverine.

 

[Bazza]

My vote don't count, but if it were up to me I'd have Broadway Joe as guest picker every single time C.G.D. was in Tuscaloosa.

 

[Bazza]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1973869935722967174

 

[JDCrimson]

My pick for celebrity picker will already be on stage...

 

[JDCrimson]

But they missed an opportunity to get Abbie Stockard, Miss America 2025, to be the celebrity picker...

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Brian Wilson only got the nod in 2011 because a few bama guys said no and they needed someone.

Again it’s more that Alabama doesn’t have alot of famous fans and the former players from the 80’s and 90’s don’t move the needle in terms of ratings and/or don’t want to be bothered at coming back for a 10 minute segment on tv. So most of the time it’s not really a great guest picker when Tuscaloosa is involved

ok, if you cannot find someone that "moves the needle" then don't bother coming at all. It really isn't a good look for the university having an opposing team special guest. I don't think they even bothered to try and find someone with Alabama ties. They wanted Vandy from the start and they wanted a Vandy guy from the start. They had no intention of even asking anyone else and it is obvious.

 

[bvandegraff]

According to Rece Davis it had a lot to do with his online following. Apparently he has "millions" of followers and RD said those are millions of eyes that would be watching the show. I'm not sure I completely believe that rationale because normally, when they do Gameday at a campus, the guest picker is someone rooting FOR the home team, not the dang visitors.

I think Rece was under duress when he made that statement....surely he doesn't believe that nonsense.