At 77 years old, Dolly Parton tottered on to the field at Neyland Stadium, arm in arm with Peyton Manning, the most beloved of all University of Tennessee quarterbacks. Wearing her trademark rhinestone-spangled take on the team’s orange and white, she shook hands with Smokey, the coonhound mascot, then thanked her escort with an impromptu burst of “Peyton Manning, I will always love you”. Having introduced the college choir and the Pride of the Southland marching band on hand to accompany her, she smiled broadly before launching into Rocky Top, equal parts state anthem and team fight song.