I’ll admit it: I never thought I would be here long enough to see the day that College GameDay came to Nashville. Vanderbilt has been the laughingstock of the SEC for longer than I’ve been alive. Aside from a few 4th-place finishes in the SEC East that led to appearances in such prestigious bowl games as the Music City Bowl and the BBVA Compass Bowl, you’d have to go all the way back to 1923 (no, that’s not a typo) to find the last time the Commodores were a legitimate contender for an SEC title. But coach Clark Lea and quarterback Diego Pavia, along with the addition of Jerry Kill as an advisor and analyst, have the Commodores positioned as one of the best stories of the 2025 season. Vandy shocked the world last year when they took down then-top ranked Alabama in Nashville before also beating Auburn en route to a 7-6 record. And let’s be honest, a 7-6 record is pretty good for Vanderbilt in and of itself, but the win over the Crimson Tide made it an unforgettable season no matter what the record ended up. This year though, the Commodores came out of the gate with wins on the road at Virginia Tech and South Carolina, along with dominant performances against Georgia State and Utah State, to start the season 5-0 before falling at Alabama. But this past weekend, with LSU visiting Nashville, the ‘Dores proved that they’re the real deal by knocking off the top-20 Tigers and cementing themselves as legitimate contenders in a wide-open SEC. As of right now, only Texas A&M and Alabama remain unbeaten in the conference, while Georgia’s win over Ole Miss means that Vanderbilt is one of six teams with only one loss in the SEC. Translation: Vandy has a real shot at making the SEC championship game this year. One of those other teams with only one conference loss so far is the Missouri Tigers, who head to Nashville this coming weekend for a huge matchup that will have major SEC implications. (Who would have ever thought that a Vandy vs. Mizzou game would actually matter when it came to the SEC championship?) And yesterday, it was announced that College GameDay would be headed to Music City for only the second time ever, and the first since 2008 when then-19 ranked Vanderbilt took on the #13 Auburn Tigers. Obviously a lot has changed in Nashville since the last time GameDay was here – and not just Vandy getting good at football. The city is now one of the top tourist destinations in the country, it’s a massive party city, and country music is as big as it’s ever been. Having GameDay here means Music City will have a chance to show off once again on a national stage, and with all of the country artists who live in Nashville, there will be no shortage of options for this week’s celebrity guest picker. So who should ESPN invite to join the show this weekend? Well here are my suggestions: Honorable Mentions: Theo Von/Nate Bargatze Neither of these are country artists, obviously, so I’m not counting them in my list. But both comedians are Vandy fans, and quarterback Diego Pavia even promised to set Theo Von up on a date with his mom, so you’ve gotta think that he’ll be appearing on GameDay at some point. I mean, what better place for a first date than a nationally-televised pregame show? Koe Wetzel Now, hear me out on this one. Koe doesn’t live in Nashville, and he doesn’t actually have any ties to Vanderbilt. But last year, he played at Ascend Amphitheater here in Music City the day after Vandy beat Alabama, and trolled the Tide with a video before his concert. Firing up the hometown crowd.@KoeWetzel : Kara.erwin (TikTok) https://t.co/n9jbBYoltN pic.twitter.com/jBC2uVKOXY — Whiskey Riff (@WhiskeyRiff) October 7, 2024 That’s the kind of smack talk I want to see on GameDay. And Koe is a former college football player himself, meaning he would be able to bridge the gap seamlessly between country music and football. Plus, he’s just an entertaining dude. Dierks Bentley Dierks is a Vandy fan and alum, having graduated from the school in 1997, and would seem to be the logical choice for a guest picker this weekend. He’s done a ton of charity work for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vandy, and was the first person honored with a star on the hospital’s Walk of Champions back in 2018. Since Dierks isn’t on tour right now, if there were a favorite for guest picker, my money would be on the “What Was I Thinkin'” singer. Lainey Wilson I don’t have any particular reason for adding Lainey Wilson onto this list. She doesn’t have any ties to Vanderbilt, but she’s also one of the biggest names in country music and seems to pop up everywhere, so she just seems like somebody that ESPN would try to get based on her name alone. The only problem is that she plays in Knoxville on Friday before traveling to North Carolina for a show on Saturday, but that’s nothing that a private jet paid for by some Disney money couldn’t work around. Jelly Roll Unfortunately ESPN fired this bullet a week too early. Jelly Roll was, for some reason, the guest picker this past weekend in Athens for the matchup between Georgia and Ole Miss, which rubbed some fans the wrong way because…well, he’s a Tennessee fan with no connection to either school. Regardless, while it wouldn’t surprise me to see Jelly Roll back on GameDay for the second weekend in a row, it won’t be as guest picker. Bet ESPN wishes they would have saved this one. Luke Combs Could we also see Luke Combs on GameDay two weekends in a row? He was there last weekend performing his song “Backup Plan” with Bailey Zimmerman, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Luke promoted to guest picker this weekend – despite the fact that he’s an Appalachian State fan with no ties to Vandy. I mean, if Jelly Roll can be the picker in Georgia, surely they would have no problem inviting Luke Combs when they come to Nashville. Garth Brooks This one may be a longshot. Garth seems to prefer controlled environments these days, which is understandable given his ongoing sexual assault lawsuits, and you never know when a “Where Are The Bodies” sign is going to pop up in the background on GameDay. (Should we do it?) But Garth is a football fan, and he’s expressed his support for Vanderbilt in the past. And there’s really not a bigger name than Garth Brooks that they could get if they want to showcase country music while visiting Music City. Chris Stapleton You may not realize it, but Stapleton actually attended Vanderbilt to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering, before switching to business and ultimately dropping out to pursue a career in music. Despite not graduating, he’s continued to support his alma mater. And everybody wants to collaborate with Chris Stapleton these days, so it would make sense for GameDay to want to have him on their show too. Kenny Chesney Despite being a Tennessee fan, Kenny is a big college football fan and the newest inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He’s also got a new book coming out and will be heading out on a book tour soon and has teased a return to the Vegas Sphere next year, so he’s got plenty to promote. Kenny has appeared as the guest picker in the past, and has also appeared on GameDay host Pat McAfee’s show, so I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Kenny repping the orange and white at Vandy this weekend. Shaboozey Why? I dunno, but ESPN seems to love him and tries to showcase him every chance they get. I’d put his odds higher than a few on this list, even if it doesn’t really make any sense. Luke Bryan Luke is another one who, as Georgia Bulldogs fan, doesn’t really have any ties to Vanderbilt. But my guess is that ESPN goes more with the country artist angle than strictly a Vandy fan. And Luke has served as guest picker in the past, as recently as 2022, so don’t be surprised to see him called back to represent “country music” on GameDay. (I also have a feeling they’ll do a segment from a Broadway bar – and Luke happens to have a bar on Broadway). Others Who Wouldn’t Surprise Me: We’re going to end it with some rapid fire of artists that I don’t really have an explanation for, but wouldn’t surprise me: Megan Moroney, Ella Langley, Riley Green, Chase Rice and Kane Brown.The post Ten Country Artists Who Could Be The Guest Picker On ‘College GameDay’ In Nashville This Weekend first appeared on Whiskey Riff.