Knoxville, Tennessee, hosted one of the biggest college football spectacles of the season Saturday, as President Donald Trump attended the Texas-Tennessee matchup between the top-ranked Longhorns and the Volunteers. ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcast from campus ahead of kickoff, and the show’s celebrity guest picker was Jackass star and Knoxville native Johnny Knoxville, who showed up in a full Tennessee Volunteers football uniform and delivered a string of profanity-adjacent, no-holds-barred predictions.
The segment also featured Holly Rowe’s first interview with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian since he abruptly ended a prior interview with her following the Longhorns’ upset win over Ohio State.
Knoxville’s picks quickly became the talk of the broadcast. Weighing in on Missouri versus Mississippi State, he turned his prediction into a jab at co-host Pat McAfee’s music career: “I’m so sure about this game, that if Missouri loses, I will punish myself by listening to Pat McAfee’s new album on repeat until Halloween.” McAfee laughed loudly at the line, prompting Knoxville to add, “No offense.”
For the Georgia-Oklahoma pick, Knoxville reached for a crude comparison. “You know, I’m from Knoxville so this is like rooting for the gout versus the syphilis. I’m going with the gout. I’ll take Georgia,” he said, as McAfee buried his face in his hands and Kirk Herbstreit shook his head.
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who has faced criticism this season following his contentious departure from Ole Miss and a loss to his former team last week, was also a target. Asked to pick between LSU and Texas A&M, Knoxville said: “I don’t know how anyone can root for Lane ‘Left Out in the Parking Lot’ Kiffin. He is to college football what toe fungus is to flip flops. I’m going with A&M.”
The most pointed remark, however, was saved for the day’s marquee matchup. After discussing Tennessee’s defensive questions and taking a swipe at Texas’ offense, Knoxville delivered his pick for the game between his hometown Volunteers and the top-ranked Longhorns: “After the game today, Tennessee will remain the real UT, and Texas will remain the real UTI.” Hosts Rece Davis and Desmond Howard appeared visibly stunned by the line.
Knoxville also jokingly attempted to slip a referee a $20 bill during a pregame interview, capping off an appearance that hosts and viewers alike described as unpredictable from start to finish.
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