ESPN+ has found a format that works for series that dive into the history of out favorite sports. We’ve seen it with Peyton’s Places covering the NFL, we’ve seen it with Abby’s Places covering soccer and now Eli’s Places is taking us deep into the world of College Football.
In the 10th and final episode, titled “Big Manning on Campus,” features Eli returning to his alma mater with his Father, Archie. Both of these legendary quarterbacks were the big man on campus in their times and they explain just what that experience was like.
The episode opens up with a bit of a history lesson on some of the most memorable big men on campus all throughout college football. Tim Tebow, Deion Sanders and Doug Flutie are just some of the names and faces brought up in this montage. Eli takes a step back in time though and asks his dad about some of the older examples, including Tom Harmon, who Archie actually got to meet.
Eli then brings up the idea of getting a big head when you’re the big man on campus. Of course, that leads to a joke about his brother Peyton and the size of his actual head. He then goes on to explain that Archie taught them how to handle the fame and remain humble.
Eli then goes into his dad’s college career, which included the first primetime football game between Alabama and Ole Miss. We get to see some highlights and hear Archie talk about the game which is a lot of fun. Archie then explains that this game is what really launched his level of fame to another level, before recapping the rest of that season for his Ole Miss team.
Eli explains that Archie is one of only two players to ever have his number retired at Ole Miss, which leads to a conversation about the pressure of following in his father’s footsteps. Eli jokes that he was more worried about following in his brother Cooper’s footsteps because he was a social legend and he didn’t want anyone to mistake Cooper for him and get him into trouble.
Of course, the two Mannings bring up the topic of Peyton choosing to go to Tennessee instead of Ole Miss. That transitions into a talk about The Grove, a tailgating hotspot for Ole Miss fans. Archie then explains that his favorite tradition was selling their practice jerseys, which then leads to Eli trying to sell the jerseys around campus himself. He doesn’t exactly have much luck making any sales though.
The two then visit Vaught Hemingway Stadium, the home of Ole Miss Football. Archie talks about what it was like to have his number retired in the stadium and we see photos of a young Eli and his brothers at the ceremony. Archie goes on to say that some of his fondest memories in the stadium are actually watching Eli play as opposed to playing himself.
The two continue their walk around campus and run into a choir singing “The Ballad of Archie Who,” a song written about Archie during his playing days. They stop to admire the song before Archie has them create one for Eli as well. The song is mostly the same, with a few name changes, but it does take a shot at the infamous “Manning face.”
We then get a look at the day Eli got his number retired at Ole Miss. The whole episode shifts tones here as things get emotional and we see Eli and his whole family walk into the stadium. Eli gives his speech and we see them reveal the number 10 as the crowd cheers.
Eli then recaps the whole first season of Eli’s Places as it comes to a close. We get a look back at some of the show’s funniest moments and greatest guests.
This was easily the most emotional episode of Eli’s Places. The connection between Eli and his father is fully on display throughout the episode, even as they’re simply making jokes about Peyton’s head. It then gets pushed over the top during that retirement ceremony for Eli. On top of that, it’s still entertaining and very educational, just as most episodes were. Now with the first season completed, I can confidently say that Eli’s Places is a must-watch for fans of college football.
You can watch Eli’s Places on ESPN+ now. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month and can cancel at any time.