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Tennessee football vs. Florida: 15 best celebrity guest picker options for College GameDay

By Caleb Calhoun

UT Alum Peyton Manning in the stands during the first round of the NCAA Knoxville Super Regionals between Tennessee and Notre Dame at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, June 10, 2022.Tennvsndbaseball 0191
UT Alum Peyton Manning in the stands during the first round of the NCAA Knoxville Super Regionals between Tennessee and Notre Dame at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, June 10, 2022.Tennvsndbaseball 0191 /
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Peyton Manning shows off his new Saloon 16 at the new University of Tennessee-themed Graduate Hotel located at 1706 Cumberland Ave. in Knoxville, Wednesday, August 12, 2020.Saloon0812 0112
Peyton Manning shows off his new Saloon 16 at the new University of Tennessee-themed Graduate Hotel located at 1706 Cumberland Ave. in Knoxville, Wednesday, August 12, 2020.Saloon0812 0112 /

2. Peyton Manning

This one’s a bit tricky. Peyton Manning gained notoriety in college for never beating Florida. He committed to Tennessee football two years after the divisions split, and that’s when the Gators began to surpass the Alabama Crimson Tide as the most important game on the Vols’ schedule.

As a result, Manning represents a shift in what matters to UT, but he didn’t represent succeeding in that shift. Still, Manning is the greatest ambassador the Vols have ever had, and he is still one of the greatest professional athletes to come from Rocky Top in any sport. Oh, and he’s amazing on camera, so obviously he’s a great fit for GameDay.

Manning is calling Monday night games with his brother, Eli, once again on ESPN2, so he’s already got the ESPN ties. Sure, there’s the Manning curse, but what better way end it than by bringing him on College GameDay? It would also bring a major storyline full circle.

In 1998, GameDay didn’t travel to Knoxville for Tennessee-Florida because Vol fans were angry at a joke Chris Fowler made at Rocky Top after Manning lost the Heisman to Charles Woodson. Bringing him on nearly 25 years later would be perfect. Who wouldn’t want to see Manning picking these games, especially after Eli going undercover recently as a Penn State walk-on?

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