One of the most storied rivalries in the history of the SEC and college football in general will make its debut on “College GameDay” this week.
Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Lee Corso will head to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., for the first show’s first-ever feature of Alabama and Tennessee’s “Third Saturday in October” rivalry.
Third-ranked Alabama is fresh off a 24-20 victory over unranked Texas A&M, a sloppy win that saw the Crimson Tide drop from No. 1 to No. 3. Many of the Tide’s struggles vs. the Aggies came from turnovers, including three by backup quarterback Jalen Milroe. A big storyline to watch this week is whether starter Bryce Young will be able to go after missing that game and the second half against Arkansas the week prior with a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, No. 6 Tennessee is off to its best start since 2016, a season in which the Volunteers also started 5-0 and made their way into the top 10.
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A win over Alabama would be historic on multiple fronts: It would be the Volunteers’ first victory against the Crimson Tide since 2006, and the first-ever win vs. Nick Saban at Alabama. Moreover, it would mark the team’s first 6-0 start since the 1998 season, when the Volunteers won the inaugural BCS championship.
Needless to say, there’s a lot on the line when Alabama and Tennessee face off in Neyland Stadium this week. With that, The Sporting News takes a closer look at the “GameDay” visit for Week 7:
Where is ‘College GameDay’ location for Week 7?
- Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
- Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Matchup: No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee
Tennessee is making its 23rd all-time “GameDay” appearance on Saturday, and second of the year — the first time the Volunteers have appeared multiple times in a season since 2016, when they went 2-1 in three games.
The Volunteers are 11-11 in their previous 22 meetings after beating No. 20 Florida 38-33 in Week 4. With that, the Volunteers’ home record on “GameDay” improved to 4-6.
The Crimson Tide will make their 54th all-time appearance on the show, tied for most all-time with Ohio State. Like Tennessee, this is Alabama’s second appearance of the year, the first being a Week 2 trip to Austin, Texas (a 20-19 win for the Tide). Alabama is 35-18 in its previous 53 visits, including 9-5 as the road team.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Tennessee and Alabama on “GameDay.”
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‘College GameDay’ schedule on ESPN
Saturday, Sept. 24
- Start time: 9 a.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+, fuboTV
The “GameDay” crew will preview Saturday’s football games live from Knoxville, Tenn. The Alabama-Tennessee game at Neyland Stadium kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
“GameDay” has an enticing slate of games to choose from in Week 8, including No. 3 Alabama hosting No. 16 Mississippi State, No. 22 Texas at No. 8 Oklahoma State, No. 11 UCLA at No. 12 Oregon and No. 17 Kansas State at No. 13 TCU.
| Week | Matchup | Location | Guest Picker | Corso’s Headgear | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia at No. 17 Pitt (Thursday) | Pittsburgh | N/A | Panthers | Pitt 38, WVU 31 |
| 1 | No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | Jack Harlow | Buckeyes | Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10 |
| 2 | No. 1 Alabama at Texas | Austin, Texas | Glen Powell | Crimson Tide | Alabama 20, Texas 19 |
| 3 | Troy at Appalachian State | Boone, N.C. | Luke Combs | Mountaineers | Appalachian State 32, Troy 28 |
| 4 | No. 20 Florida at No. 11 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | Bianca Belair | Volunteers | Tennessee 38, Florida 33 |
| 5 | No. 10 N.C. State at No. 5 Clemson | Clemson, S.C. | Christian Wilkins | N/A | Clemson 30, N.C. State 20 |
| 6 | No. 17 TCU at No. 19 Kansas | Lawrence, Kan. | Rob Riggle | N/A | TCU 38, Kansas 31 |
| 7 | No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | TBA | TBD | TBD |
Who is the guest picker on ‘College GameDay’ for Week 7?
On Thursday, Oct. 13, ESPN announced that former Tennessee Vol quarterback Peyton Manning would be the “GameDay” picker for Week 7.
Peyton Manning will be joining us in Knoxville Saturday as the guest picker 🙌🟠 pic.twitter.com/HJaGhsypiS
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 14, 2022
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