Ranking the SEC GameDay appearances in 2014
ESPN’s “College GameDay” provides schools the biggest stage from which to show off its football program and fan base.
That’s why the sport’s preeminent pre-game show makes frequent stops to SEC campuses, and that was nonetheless true in 2014.
The show made what it called a “bucket-list” visit this season, along with five other stops to the nation’s biggest games.
With the show on hiatus until the national semifinals, Saturday Down South ranks the show’s SEC stops this season.
6. Missouri at South Carolina, Columbia, S.C., Sept. 27: The show called Columbia home during Week 5 for an early-season showdown of SEC East foes. The show was highlighted by a performance from guest picker (and Tennessee fan) Kenny Chesney. The horseshoe is one of the best GameDay sites in the SEC, and the Gamecocks faithful proved true again on that September Saturday. It was the show’s first trip back to Columbia since 2012. Unfortunately for South Carolina, a second-half lead vanished as the Tigers won on the road.
5. Auburn at Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Nov. 29: Chris, Lee, Kirk and Desmond made what has seemingly become an annual trip to the site of the country’s most fierce rivalry. Tuscaloosa’s Walk of Champions was the site for GameDay on the final Saturday of the regular season as Auburn looked to stun No. 1 Alabama inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Tide and Tigers fans came up with some of the best signs of the season on Rivalry Saturday. Alabama great Joe Namath served the guest picker, living up to his “Broadway Joe” persona.
4. Ole Miss at LSU, Baton Rouge, La., Oct. 25: A trip to the Bayou is always going to be interesting. GameDay took its talents to Baton Rouge for Rebels-Tigers, as Ole Miss looked to protect its program-best 7-0 start. The Fair Grounds were the venue, with Tiger Stadium square in the backdrop, and LSU fans showed their liveliness early the morning. Willie and Jase Robertson, stars of “Duck Dynasty” were the guest pickers, providing an entertaining final segment hours before LSU upset the third-ranked Rebels.
3. Mississippi State at Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Nov. 15: One of the coolest scenes we’ve seen during the 20-plus year run of GameDay was the guest picker for the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs. On the week of Veterans Day, Navy SEAL Marcus Lutrell — inspiration behind the book and movie “The Lone Survivor” — spoke to the Alabama team prior to the game, and served as one of the more memorable guest pickers in the show’s history.
2. Auburn at Mississippi State, Starkville, Miss., Oct. 11: GameDay stayed in the Magnolia State for the second consecutive week. The GameDay bus made the 98-mile trip from Oxford down to Starkville where The Junction hosted one of the best (and loudest) pre-game parties the SEC has ever seen. The Bulldogs had just hosted the SEC’s Network’s “SEC Nation” and followed that effort up with a huge win over then-No. 2 Auburn on the day GameDay was in town.
1. Alabama at Ole Miss, Oxford, Miss., Oct. 4: Was there in question? Producer Lee Fitting has been itching to take his show to The Grove for years, and that realization finally came true on the first Saturday of October. The cast and crew went all out for the show, as did the Ole Miss faithful. Not only did the guys sport dashing bowties, and not only did they mimic the spread of a Grove tailgate on the stage, but GameDay bookers landed Katy Perry as the guest picker. Arguably the biggest pop star in the world, Perry had a show in nearby Memphis and agreed to show off her football knowledge (or her knowledge of how to entertain). To top it off, Ole Miss knocked off Alabama. It was the single-biggest day in program history, and it did not disappoint.