It wasn’t hard to predict, but now we officially know that College Gameday’s first stop of 2013 will be at Clemson for their season opener against #5 UGA (Coaches Poll). It was announced on College Football Live. As one of the fun traditions of the show, a guest picker will likely be invited to project winners for the day’s games. The picker is typically a celebrity or well-known personality affiliated with the home university. Given that this show is in Clemson, which Tiger would you most like to see as the show’s guest picker on August 31st?
Some possible candidates and my thoughts on each are below:
- CJ Spiller: The most significant professional athlete to come out of Clemson since Brian Dawkins, Spiller would bring positive attention to the University. He’s someone most football fans recognize, but may not necessarily affiliate with Clemson. unfortunately, NFL camp probably makes this a no-go.
- Brian Dawkins: Recently retired, the future Hall-of-Famer is another athlete that most football fans know and appreciate it. His presence would bring positive attention to the University and as he would be recognizable to those outside of the Clemson bubble. He’s generally well thought of and was even mentioned when the job for defensive backs coach opened up. The more people are reminded that Dawkins went to Clemson the better.
- Danny Ford: While Clemson fans would love to see the coach who brought them their 1981 National Title in the national spotlight, he’s not a household name outside of South Carolina and may not be as recognizable as many Clemson fans think. Even Brian Wilson (below) is probably more well-known. That said, if the goal is to illustrate Clemson’s history and rivalry with UGA, this wouldn’t be a bad pick. On the night when Ford will be inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor, I can wholeheartedly get behind Lawton Swann’s idea for Danny Ford to lead the team down the hill and be the first to rub the rock.
- Lucas Glover: The Clemson Tiger is a U.S. Open Champion. What a cool way to bring the success of a graduate into the fold. He led Clemson down the hill a few years back before a game against FSU.
- Nancy O’Dell: The former Miss South Carolina is the host of Entertainment Tonight, so you know she is both beautiful and well-spoken. She’d represent Clemson well.
Let me know who I’m forgetting by leaving a note in the comment section below. Also check out LSU’s Brian Wilson who did a great job as the guest picker for an LSU game in Deaf Valley.
If you enjoyed this post, please click the Facebook “Like” button on the right sidebar. You can share your opinions in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
Follow @Ryan_Kantor
RyanKantor.com 
Lee Brice