ESPN's 'College GameDay' panel split on Tennessee football vs South Carolina

During the College GameDay panel broadcast from Salt Lake City on October 24, the ESPN analysts were split on who to pick for the upcoming football game between Tennessee and South Carolina. Analysts Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and guest picker Dalton Kincaid all chose Tennessee to win. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban and analyst Kirk Herbstreit, however, favored the Gamecocks.

The No. 11 Vols, currently sitting at 6-1 with a 3-1 record in the SEC, were set to play at South Carolina, who currently have a 3-3 record with a 1-3 SEC standing. The game was scheduled for October 24 at Williams-Brice Stadium and kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Howard initially pointed out the point spread, which currently had Tennessee as a 2.5-point underdog. A fan poll was also displayed, showing that 82% of fans believed Tennessee would emerge victorious. Howard questioned if this was correct, and both McAfee and Kincaid agreed, noting that they were also inclined to pick Tennessee.

McAfee found the point spread confusing and expressed his desire to pick South Carolina, but ultimately decided to go with the Vols. Kincaid's reasoning was more straightforward, stating that he "should be picking South Carolina" but chose Tennessee instead.

Saban and Herbstreit opted for South Carolina, citing Tennessee's better team and South Carolina's home-field advantage. Herbstreit pointed to the quarterback position, expecting strong performance from Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers and believing it would be Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre's first start in a hostile road environment. MacIntyre, a sophomore, has a 2-0 record as the starter this year, with one notable road win against Arkansas before Tennessee's recent victory over Alabama at home.