Michael Phelps, the most decorated swimmer and Olympian in history, was the guest picker on ESPN’s award-winning college football preview show College GameDay.
Each week, the regular hosts of the show (including swim fan Pat McAfee) make their predictions for a slate of the highest-profile college football games in the country. They also bring in a weekly ‘guest picker,’ usually someone who has a connection to one of the schools.
This week that guest picker was Phelps, who spent four years training at the University of Michigan while his coach Bob Bowman was the head coach there. Phelps took a few classes, though he never pursued a degree, and even has a Block M tattoo that he infamously showed during the picks:
EVERY HUMAN I’VE MET IN ANN ARBOR HAS THE M TATOOED ON THEIR BODY
EVEN @MichaelPhelps
I’M PICKING THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES#CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/m7OHADi4jj
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 7, 2024
The Michigan-Texas game, the highlight of this week’s lineup between the #3 Texas Longhorns and the defending National Champions from Michigan, was dubbed in swimming circles as the Bowman Bowl, as Bowman as the head coach at Michigan during the leadup to the 2008 Olympic Games, where Phelps famously won 8 gold medals, and takes over as the head coach at Texas this year.
While Bowman and Phelps have remained close even since Phelps’ 2016 retirement, his allegiances for the game were not in doubt:
Michael Phelps getting warmed up on Gameday. If there were any doubts about where his allegiances fall with Bowman now at Texas… pic.twitter.com/1lqsle5Y1d
— Braden Keith (@Braden_Keith) September 7, 2024
As for the picks, Phelps’ selections started out slow (he picked an emphatic Michigan upset, and it was Texas by 19), but picked up through the afternoon games.
Michael Phelps‘ College GameDay Picks
Pickers are choosing winners outright, not against the spread, but the spread is shown for informational purposes.
- Georgia Tech (-3) (Lost to Syracuse 31-28)
- Auburn (-10.5) (lost to Cal 21-14 in the Durden/Marsh bowl)
- Kansas (-7) (lost to Illinois 23-17)
- Oklahoma State (-10) (beat Arkansas 39-31)
- Iowa (-2.5) (lost to Iowa State 20-19)
- Nebraska (-6.5) (beat Colorado 28-10)
- South Carolina (+8.5) (beat Kentucky 31-6)
- Tennessee (-9) (beat NC State 51-10)
- Michigan (+6.5) (lost to Texas 31-12)
So in spite of getting one of the day’s biggest upsets right in the South Carolina win, Phelps finished 3-6. Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Football, aka Johnny Manziel, went 5-4 last week when College Game Day was at Texas A&M, while professional wrestler Sheamus famously picked Georgia Tech to upset Florida State in week 1.
See all of Phelps’ picks below:
.@MichaelPhelps‘ Week 2 CFB picks from the Big House ✔️ pic.twitter.com/0vsdpVSylX
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 7, 2024
Having Phelps on College Gameday was an overall great event and fun to watch. No matter how small the impact, it grows the sport and legitimizes Phelps as a B (bordering on A?) list celebrity.
However, anyone saying that he “crushed it” in his analysis or live TV performance needs to look themselves in the mirror. He parroted everyone else’s takes and really added nothing to the discussion of the day’s slate of games. I have no issue with him on the show, but I think if you’re going on one of the biggest sports shows in America, you should do a little homework beforehand and try to make some unique claims. By no means should he be expected… Read more »
He was named the most influential athlete of the 20th century…Phelps is a household name whether youre a swim family or not, he’s absolutely an A list.
I don’t know what you want from the guy. They didn’t invite him on for his expert insight and analysis. As you noted, they got guys for that already. They invited him on to be Michael Phelps, the biggest Olympian of all time and college football (Michigan) super fan. Mission accomplished. Pretty much on par for any other celebrity they invite on these shows.
As for whether he’s a-list or b-list, at the height of his game, Phelps had a Q-score that made him the third most famous athlete in the world, behind Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
Notre Dame swimming orchestrated the biggest point shaving scandal of all time for that Northern Illinois game
wonder what the over under for grown men on the team crying was.
Speaking of college football results yesterday, I see that the Divine Powers delivered their opinion on Notre Dame’s suspension of its swimming team by permitting Northern Illinois to totally embarrass the Fighting Irish football team in a 16-14 upset victory.
Ha ha ha!
Doesn’t have time to attend NCAA swim meets but has time to hang out with Pat and Saban. What a great ambassador!
Ambassador of USAS you mean, so wtf does that have to do with NCAA meets? What a doodoo take
An ambassador is someone who makes better relationships with outside communities, right…? Wouldn’t this be the very thing an ambassador would do?
Life is too short to hate this much.
Five to one he wants that ND bet back.