ESPN 'College GameDay' Analyst Predicts Major College Football Upset on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Nov 14, 2024 7:46 PM ET

The ESPN "College GameDay Podcast" surfaced on the internet on Thursday, with a panel of Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Matt Miller.

While the crew was discussing some of the top matchups of the Week 12 slate, including No. 6 BYU versus Kansas, No. 22 LSU versus Florida and No. 7 Tennessee versus No. 12 Georgia, Thamel revealed an upset pick.

The ESPN college football insider picked the Volunteers to defeat the Bulldogs, despite heading into the game as a 9.5-point underdog, per ESPN BET.

Thamel believes the Volunteers' defensive line will lead the team to victory, given its ability to pressure Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck.

"Tennessee has turned into Georgia," Thamel said. "They have the better defensive line, 1-10. They might not have as high end talent but that has become their identity. It's a little bit of an unusual rule reversal here. I am going to take Tennessee to win. I do not have enough faith in Georgia's offense."

The Volunteers are currently 8-1 on the season, ranked as the No. 1 team in the SEC. Their sole loss of the 2024-25 college football season came against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Tennessee defeated three Top 25 teams, the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners and No. 24 NC State Wolfpack.

As Thamel explained, the Volunteers are led by a stout defensive line, stacked with NFL prospects like defensive end James Pearce Jr. and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott.

So far this season, Pearce has posted one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one pass deflection, 5.5 sacks and 27 tackles. Norman-Lott has produced 3.5 sacks and 14 tackles.

They also have one of top defensive backs in the SEC, Will Brooks, who has recorded one forced fumble, one touchdown, three interceptions, four pass deflections and 41 tackles.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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