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ESPN College GameDay for Tennessee-Florida: Predictions, best signs and more

Phil Kaplan Chris Thomas
Knoxville News Sentinel

Knoxville and Tennessee football get the spotlight on Saturday when ESPN's "College GameDay" is broadcast on campus to add to the excitement of the Vols' game against rival Florida later in the day.

It's the 10th time college football's top pregame show will originate from UT and the first since 2016. The "GameDay" crew will broadcast from the lawn at Ayres Hall from 9 a.m. to noon ET.

Rece Davis host the show and is joined by Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, David Pollack and Pat McAfee. 

There's also a game to be played.

No. 11 Tennessee (3-0) and the No. 20 Gators will kick off at 3:30 p.m. in Neyland Stadium. CBS has the broadcast.

Lee Corso puts on Tennessee head gear; Kirk Herbstreit picks Florida

Lee Corso's head gear pick is in, and he's picking the Vols to beat Florida on Saturday inside Neyland Stadium.

Corso called UT's live mascot Smokey on stage, then put on the Smokey mascot head to indicate his prediction for the game.

The entire "GameDay" crew picked Tennessee, with only Kirk Herbstreit taking the Gators.

Here's a replay of the selection:

Tennessee football vs. Florida predictions on 'College GameDay': Here's who's picking Vols, Gators

Keeping track of all the "College GameDay" predictions for Tennessee vs. Florida from Knoxville's Ayres Hall:

  • MIKE WILSON, Knox News:Tennessee 31, Florida 24
  • BIANCA BELAIR, guest picker: Tennessee
  • LEE CORSO, ESPN: Tennessee
  • KIRK HERBSTREIT, ESPN: Florida
  • DESMOND HOWARD, ESPN: Tennessee
  • CHRIS FALLICA, ESPN: Tennessee (but Florida covers)
  • PAT MCAFEE, ESPN: Tennessee
  • DAVID POLLACK, ESPN: Tennessee

[ See Lee Corso pick Tennessee football to beat Florida on College GameDay in Knoxville ]

Tony Vitello: 'If we win, everyone can go streaking'

Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello brought the zingers during his appearance on "GameDay" on Saturday morning.

Oh, and he really is trying to stay out of jail.

"After the game, if we win, everyone can go streaking," Vitello joked.

OK, maybe he's not trying to stay out of jail.

Vitello appeared on the "College GameDay" set for only a few minutes Saturday morning, one day after joking that his "No. 1 job is not to get arrested" in what's sure to be a wild UT-Florida atmosphere.

During the brief segment, Vitello delivered some notable zingers:

  • When ESPN showed two West Virginia fans head-butting each other while wearing hard hats, he said: "That's not a university of Tennessee degree at work."
  • When asked what he'd do if he ever threw a game-winning Hail Mary, like Chase Brice did last weekend for Appalachian State, Vitello said: "I'd probably be in jail."

Check out the best 'College Game Day' signs from Tennessee-Florida in Knoxville

The signs were out at Ayres Hall on Saturday, as fans packed the courtyard of the iconic campus building to get close to the set of "College GameDay."

The wild atmosphere led to some equally wild signs -- a staple of fandom at each stop on the "GameDay" calendar.

Here's a look at some of the best signs of the bunch:

Tennessee-Florida in 1996 was when Kirk Herbstreit started on 'College GameDay'

Kirk Herbstreit is back where it all started as an iconic member of the ESPN "College GameDay" crew.

Herbstreit, now a Nashville resident, made his "GameDay" debut in 1996 in Knoxville, where the Vols and quarterback Peyton Manning hosted Danny Weurfell and the Gators.

The result was a 35-29 win for Florida -- and the first of six appearances for 'GameDay' in the annual rivalry series.

Cedric Tillman injury update

Vols star receiver Cedric Tillman has been ruled out for Saturday's game vs. Florida, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to Knox News on Saturday.

Tillman was injured in last week's 63-6 win over Akron.

Without Tillman, the Vols will rely on Southern Cal transfer Bru McCoy and junior standout Jalin Hyatt against Florida.

Who will Lee Corso's headgear pick be?

Longtime "GameDay" co-host Lee Corso will cap Saturday's live show with his headgear pick, when he wears sort of mascot garb -- particularly the headpiece -- to drive home his prediction.

The last time "GameDay" was in Knoxville in 2016, Corso brought UT's live mascot Smokey on stage, then picked Florida while donning a mascot Gator head.

"This is strictly business," Corso told Smokey.

What will he do this year?

The Vols entered Saturday as 10.5-point favorites.

More:Why Tennessee football vs Florida 'means the world' to some Vols but is just another game to others

More:ESPN's 'College GameDay' is coming to Knoxville this weekend. See where else it's been!

Who is the 'College GameDay' guest picker this week? Bianca Belair

If the Vols hope to rough up the Gators in Knoxville, then this guest picker will play.

WWE wrestling star Bianca Belair will make her predictions on the "College GameDay" set around noon ET.

Belair, the WWE Raw Women's Champion, is a former UT track and field star who attended Austin-East high school in Knoxville. Belair, whose legal name is Bianca Blair Crawford, has been a rising star throughout her pro wrestling career, winning the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble and becoming WWE SmackDown Women's Champion in that year's WrestleMania.

ESPN College GameDay from Knoxville: Live updates for Tennessee football vs Florida