College GameDay showing up in Tuscaloosa was already causing some controversy, but the biggest shocker came when ESPN announced stand-up comedian Theo Von as the Week 6 guest picker. Yes, Von has a huge fan base and is a viral personality, but what about his connections to Alabama? Almost none, unless you include the fact that he resides at the home of former Commodores coach Derek Mason. So Von is a diehard Vanderbilt fan who was expected to make his selections for the matchup with No. 10 Alabama

The fit seemed weird straight away, and soon Von’s jokes stopped working with the GameDay staff. Before he ever reached the main stage, however, things took a crazy turn. During a pre-picks conversation with College GameDay contributor Jess Sims, Von joked about prizes and even a plunger left by Mason. But things quickly took a turn for the worse, particularly after a clumsy encounter with Sims went viral.

“I’m already gone?” Von asked Sims as he got ready to make his picks. “Do I get to see you again?” Her response was icy: “No, I hope not.” The audience and social media were in shock as the deadpan delivery went viral right away. It didn’t go as planned, whether Von was genuinely attempting to flirt or was simply being his typical humorous self. Following Theo Von’s complete roasting on national television, fans swiftly turned to X to express their outrage.

The embarrassing situation was a great way to illustrate the dangers of bringing a comic to a place like College GameDay. Von didn’t mind being different; he even selected Vanderbilt to defeat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, but his jokes and remarks seemed out of place with the more experienced sports team. Sims subtly established herself as the clip’s star, but by the time he left the set, the internet had already made him the weekend’s laughing stock.

Fans can’t stop roasting Von after Jess Sims shuts him down

Clearly, Theo Von’s sense of humor did not impress many. “People don’t get Theo’s type of comedy,” one fan wrote, while another joined in, “People actually think this guy is funny?” Some were dead blunt: “Theo Von? Who? Never heard of him,” and “Who the hell is Theo Von, and why in the world was he warranted to be a guest picker?” Clearly, neither his comedic style nor his position on a sports program won over the viewers.

Von’s situation wasn’t getting any better from last week either. Just last weekend, he went viral after completely ruining a stand-up performance in New York for his upcoming Netflix special. “Absolutely hilarious two weeks for him,” one user joked, while another added, “He apparently bombed filming a stand-up special last week. Much of the audience walked out.” Others noted his awkward energy on the set: “Yup, Theo was acting weirder than usual today in GameDay, this is just one example,” and “Theo must be having a really rough week lmao.”

“No, I hope not” earned widespread praise. “With Jess on this one!” one comment read, while another quipped, “She is all of us regarding ‘Theo Von.'” Some even called the moment “diabolical” for embarrassing him in front of a national audience. “Ending him in front of so many people is DIABOLICAL lmfao.”