College GameDay spent Saturday morning in Oxford, setting the stage for a heavyweight SEC showdown between Ole Miss and LSU.
The Rebels and Tigers were headed for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, with the game carrying extra attention because it marked the return of former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, now leading LSU.
Before the main event, the GameDay panel - Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit - was joined by Morgan Freeman to make their picks for a loaded Week 3 slate.
The group was unanimous on a few games. Everyone took Vanderbilt over NC State, Texas A&M over Kentucky, and Alabama over Florida State.
For NC State at Vanderbilt, Desmond Howard, Saban, McAfee, Freeman and Herbstreit all backed the Commodores.
In Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M, every picker went with the Aggies.
Florida State at No. 10 Alabama was another clean sweep, with all five picking Alabama.
The split decisions came elsewhere.
On Mississippi State at South Carolina, Howard, Saban and Freeman chose Mississippi State, while McAfee and Herbstreit went with South Carolina.
Florida at Auburn was also divided, with Howard, McAfee, Freeman and Herbstreit picking Florida, and Saban siding with Auburn.
The headline game produced the most interest, and the picks leaned toward the home team. Howard, McAfee and Freeman took No.
8 Ole Miss over No. 7 LSU, while Saban picked LSU.
Herbstreit did not make a pick because he was calling the game.
Now the only thing left is to see whether the panel - Freeman included - reads the weekend right when the games are actually played.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fan Just Gave The Grove A Viral GameDay Moment
ESPNs College GameDay brought another big-stage scene to The Grove in Oxford, where Ole Miss freshman James Whitehead stepped into Pat McAfees weekly kicking contest and drilled a 33-yard field goal attempt. The moment had all the ingredients for a viral Saturday: a packed backdrop, a live national audience and a kick that suddenly turned into a life-changing payday.
McAfee added to the spectacle by mistakenly writing $100 million on the novelty check before correcting it on the broadcast, but the real prize was the $1 million Whitehead won for the successful kick. Whitehead said he plans to split the money with a friend who submitted the winning entry, giving the Rebels game-day buzz an extra local twist beyond the headline moment itself. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Made Their Feelings On Lane Kiffin Impossible To Ignore
Oxford had the full college-football spotlight Saturday morning, with College GameDay setting up on campus ahead of the LSU-Ole Miss matchup. The backdrop was a familiar one for Rebels fans: a rivalry game with plenty of history, a charged atmosphere around kickoff, and plenty of attention on the programs recent past under Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin, now back in the conversation through a virtual interview on the show, did not exactly get a warm reception from the crowd. Ole Miss fans made their feelings plain with boos and chants that cut through the broadcast, a reminder of how personal these moments can still feel in Oxford as the rivalry and the Kiffin era continue to overlap. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Nation Just Added More Tension To Ole Miss Vs LSU
With LSU and Ole Miss set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, the build-up around this matchup has already turned into a TV debate before either team takes the field. The SEC Nation panel weighed in on the game, and the discussion centered on the players and strengths that could decide it, giving fans one more layer to chew on before Saturday night.
Tim Tebow leaned toward LSU, while Chase Daniel backed Ole Miss, which only adds to the sense that this one is evenly matched and hard to call. For the Rebels, it is the kind of national spotlight game that can sharpen the stakes even further, with SEC Nations split view underscoring just how much attention this showdown is drawing. [Read more 🡒]