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Awful Announcing
Your Week 2 college football announcing schedule
By Andrew Bucholtz,
15 hours ago
Here’s a look at who’s televising and calling (where available) this week’s college football games, with some discussion of a featured game or games in each slot based on announcers, matchup, or both. All times are Eastern.
BYU @ SMU 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 Anish Shroff, Andre Ware
Western Illinois @ Indiana 7:00 p.m. BTN Lisa Byington, J Leman
Featured game: Duke @ Northwestern 9:00 p.m. FS1 Connor Onion, Mark Helfrich
Northwestern’s temporary stadium by Lake Michigan has become the epicenter of a lot of discussion, both serious and less-so . The 12,000-seat stadium provided some spectacular views during the Wildcats’ season-opening day game win over the Miami RedHawks last week. It will be interesting to see what it looks like under the lights, and how the Wildcats (in their second season under head coach David Braun, and still facing lawsuits from former head coach Pat Fitzgerald and former offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian) fare against a 1-0 Duke team led by new head coach Manny Diaz (after Mike Elko left for Texas A&M in the offseason following an 8-5 2023 campaign).
Northwestern players after a 2024 Week 1 win over the Miami RedHawks. (David Banks/USA Today Sports.)
Saturday, Sept. 7, Early window
Arkansas @ 16 Oklahoma State 12:00 p.m. ABC Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek
Featured game 1: No. 3 Texas @ No. 10 Michigan 12:00 p.m. FOX Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt
Both of these highly-ranked teams got off to good starts in Week 1, but against less-than-top-ranked opposition. The Longhorns and Wolverines relatively easily handled Colorado State and Fresno State respectively. Now, they have a ranked-on-ranked clash, and a Top 10 one at that. And Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff gets its first highly-hyped destination of the season (they were in Morgantown, West Virginia for the unranked Mountaineers’ clash with No. 8 Penn State last week, but the Nittany Lions won that one 34-12). ESPN’s College GameDay will also be in Ann Arbor despite their networks not airing this one. So there’s lots of hype, and we’ll see how it plays out.
Featured game 2: 17 Kansas State @ Tulane 12:00 p.m. ESPN Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick
The Wildcats went 9-4 last season, while the Green Wave were 11-3 (and just a slight step down from 2022, where they finished 12-2 and No. 9 after a 46-45 comeback win over USC in the Cotton Bowl). It’s a season of change for Tulane after quarterback Michael Pratt went to the NFL (he first signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent, but is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and coach Willie Fritz left for Houston, but there’s belief in new coach Jon Sumrall and new QB Darian Mensah. Riddick had some high praise for the latter Friday after pre-game production meetings (quote-tweeting a piece on Mensah from Tulane reporter/SI FanNation Tulane writer Maddy Hudak):
So there’s certainly plenty to watch for there. And, on the Kansas State side, head coach Chris Kleiman (in his sixth season) is trying to continue his team’s impressive run, and maybe take advantage of a Big 12 newly without Texas and Oklahoma . But they’ll have to get through a tough road Group of Five opponent first.
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati 12:00 p.m. ESPN2 Roy Philpott, Sam Acho
Troy @ Memphis 12:00 p.m. ESPNU Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia
Bowling Green @ 8 Penn State 12:00 p.m. BTN Chris Vosters, Matt Millen
Akron @ Rutgers 12:00 p.m. BTN Jason Horowitz, Adam Breneman
23 Georgia Tech @ Syracuse 12:00 p.m. ACCN Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich
Army @ Florida Atlantic 12:00 p.m. CBSSN Jordan Kent, Logan Ryan
Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) and running back Cash Jones (32) and linebacker Jalon Walker (11) wear old leather helmet after a victory over the Clemson Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports.)
Missouri State @ Ball State 2:00 p.m. ESPN+ Kelsie Kasper, Ryan Cavanaugh
St. Francis (PA) @ Kent State 2:30 p.m. ESPN+ Anthony Lima, Randy Buffington
Utah Tech @ UNLV 3:00 p.m. Silver State Sports, MWC Digital
Afternoon window
South Carolina @ Kentucky 3:30 p.m. ABC Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy
Featured game 1: Iowa State @ 21 Iowa 3:30 p.m. CBS Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson
CBS’ shift to the Big Ten for their afternoon slot (traditionally the SEC Game of the Week) continues here, and they get the always-interesting Cy Hawk game . And this has long-time Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz (who’s held that role since 1999) returning to the sidelines after his first game ever missed while in that role ( over a recruiting violation ). The Hawkeyes beat Illinois State 40-0 last week without him; we’ll see what they can do in this one.
Featured game 2: Baylor @ 11 Utah 3:30 p.m. FOX Jason Benetti, Brock Huard
This is Utah’s second game as a member of the Big 12 following their defection amidst the Pac-12 collapse last summer. The Utes beat Southern Utah 49-0 last week, but they now get a game against a Power 4 and conference opponent (even with this being a non-conference game ). They went 8-5 last year, but are one of the Big 12’s top-ranked teams; we’ll see what head coach Kyle Whittingham (in his 20th year at the helm of the Utes) can do with this team. (And we’ll see what Benetti, taking time away from his current main gig calling the Detroit Tigers , can do with this broadcast.)
Northern Illinois @ 5 Notre Dame 3:30 p.m. NBC Dan Hicks, Jason Garrett
California @ Auburn 3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler
South Dakota @ Wisconsin 3:30 p.m. FS1 Eric Collins, Spencer Tillman
Duquesne @ Boston College 3:30 p.m. ESPN+, ACCNX Bill Spaulding, Craig Haubert
Jacksonville State @ 22 Louisville 3:30 p.m. ESPN+, ACCNX Justin Kutcher, Charles Arbuckle
Michigan State @ Maryland 3:30 p.m. BTN Jason Ross Jr., Anthony Herron
Eastern Michigan @ Washington 3:30 p.m. BTN Mark Followill, Lincoln Kennedy
Washington Huskies’ running back Jonah Coleman (1) celebrates with offensive lineman D’Angalo Titialii (75) and offensive lineman Drew Azzopardi (74) after rushing for a touchdown against the Weber State Wildcats during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. (Joe Nicholson/USA Today Sports.)
Charlotte @ North Carolina 3:30 p.m. ACCN Jorge Sedano, Orlando Franklin
Temple @ Navy 3:30 p.m. CBSSN Carter Blackburn, Randy Cross
Idaho @ Wyoming 3:30 p.m. TruTV Ari Wolfe, Darius Walker
Massachusetts @ Toledo 3:30 p.m. ESPN+ Michael Reghi, Je’Rod Cherry
UTSA @ Texas State 4:00 p.m. ESPNU Doug Sherman, Tyoka Jackson
Middle Tennessee @ 6 Ole Miss 4:15 p.m. SECN Dave Neal, Aaron Murray
Marshall @ Virginia Tech 4:30 p.m. CW Thom Brennaman, Max Browne
Albany @ West Virginia 6:00 p.m. ESPN+ Richard Cross, Barrett Brooks
Central Michigan @ Florida International 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
East Carolina @ Old Dominion 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
Gardner-Webb @ James Madison 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
South Alabama @ Ohio 6:00 p.m. ESPN+ Jim Barbar, Marcus Ray
Sam Houston @ UCF 6:30 p.m. ESPN+ James Westling, Leger Douzable
Evening window
South Florida @ 4 Alabama 7:00 p.m. ESPN Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) and running back Justice Haynes (22) come to the sideline after Haynes scored on an 85 yard touchdown run against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (Gary Cosby Jr./USA Today Sports.)
Virginia @ Wake Forest 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison
19 Kansas @ Illinois 7:00 p.m. FS1 Alex Faust, Robert Smith
Featured game 1: 1 4 Tennessee vs 24 NC State (in Charlotte) 7:30 p.m. ABC Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit
This Duke’s Mayo Classic (also featuring the debut of an ACC-sponsored College Football 25 competition ) gets ABC’s top team (and one of their three teams that share the SEC on ABC afternoon window). There’s lots to like about this Saturday Night Football clash on the field, too, with the Volunteers coming off a 9-4 season (and in their fourth season under Josh Heupel), and the Wolfpack (in their 12th year under Dave Doeren) entering after a 9-4 season of their own. Both teams are 1-0 this year.
Featured game 2: Colorado @ Nebraska 7:30 p.m. NBC Paul Burmeister, Colt McCoy
While these teams are now in different conferences (the Big 12, new for this year, and the Big Ten, respectively), this is an old Big Eight (1948-1995) and Big 12 (1996-2010) rivalry. So it’s certainly notable to see them clashing again, especially around the spotlight on second-year Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. And there’s an interesting NBC broadcasting team here in Burmeister and McCoy, both with notable broadcast experience, but not usually on the network’s most-featured games.
Alcorn State @ Vanderbilt 7:30 p.m. ESPNU
Kevin Fitzgerald, Charlie Strong Nicholls State @ 18 LSU 7:30 p.m. ESPN+, SECN+ Matt Schumacker, Dustin Fox
Western Michigan @ 2 Ohio State 7:30 p.m. BTN Jeff Levering, Jake Butt
Stephen F. Austin @ North Texas 7:30 p.m. ESPN+ Pete Sousa, Doc Holliday
Houston @ 15 Oklahoma 7:45 p.m. SECN Tom Hart, Jordan Rogers, Cole Cubelic
Oklahoma linebacker Jaren Kanak (7) scoops up a fumbled punt return and runs the ball for a touchdown and is celebrated by his teammates in the second half of an NCAA football game between Oklahoma (OU) and Temple at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman, via USA Today Sports.)
Appalachian State @ 25 Clemson 8:00 p.m. ACCN Wes Durham, Tom Luginbill
Long Island @ TCU 8:00 p.m. ESPN+ Ted Emrich, Dave Steckel
Southern Utah @ UTEP 9:00 p.m. ESPN+
Texas Tech @ Washington State 10:00 p.m. FOX Tim Brando, Devin Gardner
Boise State @ 7 Oregon 10:00 p.m. Peacock Andrew Siciliano, Michael Robinson
Sacramento State @ Fresno State 10:00 p.m. KGPE CBS 47 (Fresno), MWC Digital
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