When "College GameDay" sets up for Ole Miss LSU on Sept. 19, the Grove is going to be a madhouse. So ESPN went to one of the most famously calming voices in American cinema to try to stem the insanity.
Morgan Freeman will sit on the dais to be the guest picker for Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford on Saturday, joining Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, and Pat McAfee. The awaited matchup, which will mark the first time Kiffin plays against Ole Miss since leaving before the Rebels played in a playoff game last season, should have a raucous atmosphere.
Freeman, who lives in Mississippi and spent some of his formative years
there, will be tasked with picking that grudge match.
He also has some more direct connections to the university. Freeman made headlines when he was sitting courtside in a game between Ole Miss and Auburn in 2024. When Broome fell into the seats, Freeman grabbed Broome's jersey, to which Broome reacted by swatting Freeman's hand away. Once he realized who it was, Broome was a bit more reverent, even going back to shake Freeman's hand after the swat at the next TV timeout.
Johni Broome thinks a fan is trying to grab him, smacks their hand away, then realizes it's Morgan Freeman 😂😂😳 pic.twitter.com/7buLKBdZo6
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 4, 2024
Freeman is a repeat offender, having done the same against Mississippi State in 2017.
Hey, Morgan Freeman. You're not supposed to do that. But we'll give you a pass this time. #HailState pic.twitter.com/VwlAcKZAUu
— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 2, 2017
Who will be 'College GameDay' picker for Ole Miss-LSU?
Morgan Freeman will make his first appearance on "College GameDay" for Ole Miss vs LSU in Week 3 from Oxford.
Freeman will follow previous Ole Miss pickers Katy Perry (who gave one of the most iconic picking performance of all time against Alabama in 2014) and Kiffin, who came on in 2021 for Ole Miss vs Texas A&M.
Why is Morgan Freeman guest picker for 'College GameDay?'
Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but his planted roots are in Mississippi.
In an interview from 2012 with "Garden & Gun," Freeman was asked why he chose Mississippi when he could, in reality, live anywhere.
“I realized it’s where I was happiest,” Freeman said. “It’s where I belong.”
The 89-year-old star has been around the Ole Miss program. His list of accolades is too long to enumerate, consisting of five Oscar nominations, including a win for Best Supporting Actor in Million Dollar Baby, five Golden Globe nominations and a Golden Globe win for Best Actor in Driving Miss Daisy, and beloved roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Bruce Almighty, Se7en, and Street Smart. Freeman also has countless quotes falsely attributed to him on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Morgan Freeman to join 'College GameDay' as guest picker for Ole Miss-LSU
