What College GameDay had to say about South Carolina-Vanderbilt

On Saturday, College GameDay was in Knoxville, Tennessee ahead of the top Southeastern Conference matchup of the week, a showdown between the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs. Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, and Rece Davis led the show in front of a large group of hyped-up Vol fans, but there was some talk about another big-time SEC matchup. The GameDay crew had a few things to say about South Carolina-Vanderbilt throughout the morning.

There is more juice behind this USC-Vandy showdown than is typical. The Commodores are better than usual, and the Gamecocks have College Football Playoff aspirations. This offseason, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia revealed that he had this game circled on his calendar. Offensive lineman Bryce Henderson gave a pseudo victory guarantee and referred to star Carolina pass rusher Dylan Stewart as “whatever.”

The GameDay panel picked up on the uptick in hype around the contest.

McAfee argued that the South Carolina-Vanderbilt atmosphere will be “electric” and said that this year’s edition of the matchup should be one of the best in recent memory. Early in the show, “Stanford Steve” Steve Coughlin picked Vandy to cover the spread because of quarterback Diego Pavia. He also said he wouldn’t be surprised if the ‘Dores won the game. Davis and Herbstreit acknowledged USC’s early-season struggles this fall but predicted LaNorris Sellers’ legs as a major factor on Saturday.

During another segment, the panel gave punt returner Vicari Swain his flowers and asked if the Gamecocks could have another special teams touchdown this weekend. McAfee shouted out special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and head coach Shane Beamer, saying that “Beamer Ball” and special teams could be what wins the game on Saturday. Howard, a great kick returner during his college and professional days, believes it will not happen.

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When it came time for the GameDay crew to make their week three selections, South Carolina-Vanderbilt presented a divided group of pickers.

Howard led things off with a pick for the Gamecocks; he also called LaNorris Sellers “one of the best” in the country. Then, Saban backed up that pick, calling Williams-Brice Stadium one of the toughest places to play. McAfee and celebrity guest picker Candace Parker agreed. Herbstreit went against the grain and picked the Commodores to pull off the upset. All five pickers acknowledged that the Gamecocks are the better team. Herbstreit’s pick came because he “believe[s] in Clark Lea” and quarterback Diego Pavia.

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South Carolina and Vanderbilt will kick off at 7:45 p.m. Williams-Brice Stadium is sold out for the contest. SEC Network will broadcast the game, while the ESPN app makes it available via streaming.

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