The College GameDay crew walked into Iowa City on Saturday morning oozing confidence. Every single analyst on the set—Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, and even guest picker Caitlin Clark—was absolutely certain the Florida Gators would roll over the Missouri Tigers. They were so sure, in fact, that not one of them gave Mizzou a fighting chance.
By the time the final whistle blew in Columbia, that confidence looked less like expertise and more like a collective blind spot. The Tigers didn't just beat Florida; they dismantled them, leaving the GameDay panel with egg on their faces and the internet ready to pounce.
Fans wasted no time letting the show have it. The mockery was swift and merciless, with one user simply posting, “HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.” Another wrote, “that show sucks,” while a third chimed in with the classic, “The gameday curse continues.” The phrase “rat poison” got thrown around too, a nod to Saban's own coaching philosophy that the crew apparently forgot to apply to themselves.
The backlash wasn't just about the wrong pick—it was about the sheer unanimity. When every single expert on a national stage agrees on something that turns out to be completely wrong, it's not just a mistake; it's a moment. And the fans were more than happy to turn it into a meme.
“gotta respect the confidence. wrong confidence still counts as confidence, right?” one fan joked, while another asked, “Mizzou ranked 26th in next weeks AP poll??” A Tigers fan added, “The amount of glazing that goes on during this show is crazy.” The most pointed jab came from a user who wrote, “@KirkHerbstreit knows more about football than anyone according to Kirk Herbstreit.” And then there was the simple, emphatic: “THESE GUYS DO NOT KNOW BALL!”
To be fair to the GameDay crew, picking Florida wasn't crazy on paper. The Gators had looked impressive the week before, pushing a top-five Ole Miss team to the brink. But Saturday proved that Florida still has a long way to go before they can be considered an SEC powerhouse. The Tigers, meanwhile, made a statement that should silence any doubters about their ranking.
This isn't the first time GameDay has been roasted for a bad call, and it certainly won't be the last. The show's infamous wedding segment already drew fan outrage earlier this season, and now this. It seems the panel can't catch a break. But for Missouri fans, this was sweet vindication.
For Clark, the Iowa hometown hero, the boos she received from the Iowa crowd during her appearance were just the start of a rough morning. Her Florida pick only added to the misery. And for Saban, who has been in the headlines recently over a 'liar' accusation on ESPN regarding the College Sports Act, this was another notch in a tough week.
The GameDay curse is real, and it struck again in Week 5. As the show moves on to its next destination, one thing is certain: the analysts might want to think twice before they all pile on the same team again. Because when they do, the internet is always watching—and laughing.
