Asked how he would have responded had someone told him at the start of the season that GameDay would be coming to Vanderbilt, Lee Corso smiled before answering honestly.

"Probably, 'you've got to be kidding me,' and 'not so fast, my friends,'" he said.

Yet, there he was this afternoon, joining Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on set in the middle of Vanderbilt's breathtaking Commons as the No. 19 Commodores prepare to take on the No. 13 Tigers Saturday night at 5 p.m.

"They've won all their games and now they've got a chance to do something really special for Vanderbilt -- win on College GameDay in front of a national audience," Corso said. "That's big stuff."

It most certainly is. That's why fans and players alike cannot wait for Saturday when this campus will be more electric than any time in school history.

I had a chance to catch up with Corso (along with Kirk Herbstreit) following Friday's segment and, man, it was quite the experience. Corso was even more senile in person than he appears on TV (at one point he called a male reporter "sweetheart"), although that's not to say he wasn't hilarious.

While he wouldn't share which team he's going to pick, Corso did touch on a number of subjects, including impression of Vanderbilt, the rationale behind his predictions and his craziest GameDay experience. You won't believe what happened to him at Virginia Tech...

Q: Do you read the fans' signs? (For example, one of them read "Lee Corso scores more than Auburn").

Lee Corso: I don't ever read the signs because some of them are kind of different so I don't listen to people and I don't read the signs, but we do have a sign cop that takes down the bad ones before the show.

Thoughts on the crowd?

LC: Best ever on a Friday. We've had some great crowds. We've been to Nebraska where there's 16,000 to 17,000 in the stadium, but on a Friday,  nothing like this is. This is wonderful.

Vandy's chances?

LC: Vanderbilt's got a chance because they play so well and they're well-coached. They've got the fewest penalties in the country, they're leading the turnover margin, they play great field position, they've got a great punt returner in this kid (D.J.) Moore. Those are things that win football games for you. Bobby Johnson's a terrific football coach.

You tend to pick against Vanderbilt. Looks like you're changing your tune now that you're here.

LC: Not so fast, my friend (laughter).

How seriously do you take your picks?

LC: Let me tell you something, sweetheart (talking to a male reporter). When I put on that head, I ain't messing around.

Was this the best crowd you've seen on a Friday?

LC: It's the best crowd on a Friday we've ever had in the 15 years we've been doing on the road. This is the best crowd, the most enthusiastic, the best signs and the spirit here is wonderful. It's a beautiful location for this so we're very excited about it.

How do you like Vanderbilt?

LC: Like I said, it's the biggest crowd on Friday we've ever had. The most enthusiastic crowd we've ever had on Friday. Not only that, the crowd is informative, they're in, they paid attention, great signs. This is a tremendous thing for Vanderbilt University and they deserve it. They're undefeated and playing well.

If someone had told you in the beginning of the year that you would be having GameDay here at Vanderbilt, how would you have responded?

LC: Probably, "you've got to be kidding me," and "not so fast, my friends." We're not going to Vandy because of the fact that we didn't think they'd win all of their games...They've won all their games and now they've got a chance to do something really special for Vanderbilt -- win on College GameDay in front of a national audience. That's big stuff.

Surprised to be here?

LC: Oh, absolutely. Shocked. In fact, to tell you the truth, we wouldn't be here if Wisconsin hadn't got beat (laughing). We would've been at Wisconsin with Ohio State-Wisconsin. But, that's the truth. But, they got beat, and that's why in some places people get mad at us. Why don't we go to schools? Well, it's the luck of the draw.

What makes GameDay so special?

LC: It's an event. It's a chance for alumni to get together with the students and they have a party before the game. It's become an event now. You'll see there's tents all over the place and people and that's what makes it.

How have you seen GameDay evolve over the years?

LC: That's it. It's evolved from a regular show to an event now, and it's more than just us. Remember, the one thing that makes it popular, it's live television and no other studio show does it like we do it, which means it's kind of exciting because you don't know what the hell is going to happen.

Ever see a Friday crowd like this?

LC: Never like this. I think at Georgia we might have had 15-20 people. This is amazing. I'm telling you this is the best crowd we've ever had on a Friday. I think it shows that the enthusiasm is here for football and for the football team.

What keeps you coming back every year?

LC: They pay me well. I need the money. I've got nice kids and a wife and retirement.

Do you like coming to schools that haven't had GameDay before?

LC: Oh, yeah. We like to go every place that we haven't been. It's fun that way.

Craziest road story?

LC: Lightning hitting my car at Virginia Tech. A couple of years ago it blew up my car. I picked (against) Virginia Tech and lightning came out of heaven. God sent a lightning bolt, "boom!," blew up my national rental car. It's the last time I picked against Virginia Tech.

How do you decide who you're going to pick?

LC: You just look at the defenses and special teams, that's what I do. I look at the defense, special teams and offensive linemen. Then, after that, if it's close, you go with the whole team.

After GameDay is over, what do you do?

LC: I watch the rest of the games and go home.

Props to Oliver Wolfe for the photo. Make sure to check back throughout the day as David Rutz will be live-blogging from the press box. We'll also have our first open thread up and running for one of the biggest games (if not in importance, at least in visibility) in school history.