Close your eyes and try to imagine Peyton Manning playing college football anywhere other than Tennessee. Pretty difficult, right?

It almost happened, if his father is to be believed.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but Peyton almost went to Michigan,” Archie Manning said, according to a report from The Shreveport Times. “He wanted to get away from the Southeastern Conference and carve his own.”

During a speaking appearance Wednesday, Archie recalled a recruiting trip he and Peyton took to Michigan in fall 1993. There they met with future LSU coach Les Miles, who at the time was the Wolverines’ top recruiter and offensive line coach.

If Peyton had actually gone to Michigan, it likely would have changed the national landscape for years to come. He chose to be a Volunteer instead, becoming the program’s most prolific passer and eventually the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.