Story by
Theo Von picks Vanderbilt over Alabama in Tuscaloosa on ESPN's 'College GameDay'
- Story by
- Theo Von picks Vanderbilt over Alabama in Tuscaloosa on ESPN's 'College GameDay'
Comedian and podcaster Theo Von, the celebrity guest picker on ESPN's "College GameDay" on Saturday, Oct. 4, did the inevitable and chose the road team for the game of the week.
Von, appearing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama , for Alabama's home game against Vanderbilt, chose the Commodores and quarterback Diego Pavia to beat the Crimson Tide for the second consecutive year. He even made the pick just moments after legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban chose the Crimson Tide.
"They are my ride home," Von said. "I'm not joking."
Advertisement
Von also joked about Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer now having his "own players," joking last season's Alabama roster was full on players from "the old coach," referring to Saban. The joke garnered chuckles from the crew and crowd on site.
Von has been connected with the Commodores all season, as he resides in Nashville and even lives in the house of former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason. He even made a bet earlier in the season with Pavia, who promised Von a date with his mom if Vanderbilt beat South Carolina, which it did. Von was on Vanderbilt's sideline for the game, as well.
"College GameDay" host Rece Davis fielded questions from reporters on Oct. 3, asking why the show chose Von, who isn't connected to the Crimson Tide. Davis defended the choice, noting Von's reach and ability to grow college football.
"He's hilarious, he's been on the show before," Davis said. "I mean, I understand that schools like to have their legends. And we do that a lot. We've had Joe Namath here. If memory serves, we've invited Ozzie Newsome here... When you have someone who sort of transcends the game and kind of expands your reach, and he's also awesome like Theo Von, I mean, Theo Von's like an easy yes."
Advertisement
Von, who has 8.5 million followers on Instagram, was a somewhat logical choice for "GameDay," as the show looks toward growing its audience in the new age of media. Even if it potentially left some Alabama fans with a sour taste.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who did Theo Von pick between Vandy, Alabama on ESPN College GameDay
