This week’s edition of Monday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles has tons of former Crimson Tide stars in the starting lineups for each team.
Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts is at the helm for the Eagles, who is being protected in part by former Crimson Tide offensive lineman Landon Dickerson at guard. During every dropback by Hurts, he has the Heisman-winning Alabama WR DeVonta Smith to throw to.
On the other side, the Cowboys don’t have near as many, but they still have former Crimson Tide playmakers DB Trevon Diggs and WR Amari Cooper.
This could be a good reason why ESPN’s alternate broadcast of the Monday Night Football game on ESPN2 with Peyton and Eli Manning featured special guest Nick Saban.
In a hilarious segment during Saban’s appearance, Eli jokes about Jalen Hurts being an Oklahoma quarterback, and Peyton chimes in to remind him that he was an Alabama quarterback through most of his career.
"Great play by the *Oklahoma* quarterback right there in Jalen Hurts."- Eli Manning while Nick Saban is on the broadcast. 😂🏈 pic.twitter.com/EKVTkEvyCR
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 28, 2021
“There’s not very many guys in college football that went 26-2 as a starter, and got replaced.” Saban remarked after the exchange, referencing Tua Tagovailoa’s entry after halftime in the 2018 CFP Championship Game against Georgia.
The hilarity ensued when Peyton joked about his big hat and big head while being in the stands during a game between Saban’s LSU Tigers and Eli Manning and Ole Miss.
“I think you were a little distracted that game. There was someone in the crowd with a giant head that was wearing a cowboy hat.”@EliManning had to take a jab at Peyton with Nick Saban 😂 pic.twitter.com/1ZHtXY21aE
— ESPN (@espn) September 28, 2021
The “Manningcast” version of MNF games has been a huge success so far this season, and as long as the jokes keep coming and the guests remain engaged, they should continue to draw big ratings.