A college football weekend light on headliner matchups and late drama did not lack for moments for the television announcers calling those games.
Only two of the top 10 crews ranked below called one-score games, and both were on ABC. Yet some of the best performances came from announcers in the middle of blowouts. In most cases, the analysis was superb and there were plenty of fun and informative anecdotes dispensed during Saturday’s telecasts. If I could make a plea to producers: Sideline reporters from the upper-level lineups are more valuable and informed today than ever before. Let’s hear more from them throughout the game.
After watching nearly every major-network game, plus a few others, here’s how I ranked the broadcast teams of Week 3, plus a few others that caught my eye.
1. ABC early (LSU 36, South Carolina 33; Chris Fowler play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit analyst, Holly Rowe sideline)
A regulation game that ended one minute shy of four hours and featured 22 penalties for nearly 200 yards brought its challenges. The constant interruptions were infuriating for an unbiased viewer, let alone for the South Carolina fans who sat through two touchdowns called back because of penalties.
That’s where a veteran crew like this one can keep viewers engaged. One of my favorite sequences came in the middle of the first quarter. Fowler and Herbstreit, who is Gen X’s Mr. College Football, dissected South Carolina defensive backs’ arm length after a pass breakup. Then on three consecutive plays, Herbstreit pivoted to how the Gamecocks’ defensive line pushed LSU’s offensive line in the pocket and how South Carolina’s linebackers got downhill on a major stop. Herbstreit then untangled the South Carolina inside-out coverage by two slot defenders that led to a sack. He did it effortlessly and made it digestible.
Fowler remains smooth as ever and often mixes in a dry quip. In the fourth quarter, the referee’s microphone was inaudible when an offsides penalty was announced. Fowler piped up, “It’s been used so much that the batteries have run out of Jason Autrey’s microphone.”
Finally, no assessment would be complete without something from the greatest sideline reporter of them all, Holly Rowe. Sometimes it’s not Rowe’s questions that get the best answers, it’s the ease at which she puts her subjects. At halftime, she interviewed South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, whose team led 24-16. Beamer provided a great unprompted quote: “We’re trying to screw this thing up: offense, defense, special teams.” Rowe asked for more detail without disrupting the flow: “How so?” Beamer then detailed “self-inflicted mistakes” that eventually cost the Gamecocks the win.
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2. Fox Big Noon Saturday (Alabama 42, Wisconsin 10; Gus Johnson play-by-play, Joel Klatt analyst, Jenny Taft sideline)
SEC teams like Alabama rarely travel north for nonconference games, so this matchup was the No. 2 draft selection after Ohio State-Michigan this offseason for Fox, the Big Ten’s primary partner. The game itself was lopsided, but it allowed all three of Fox’s stars to shine in their own way.
Along with Herbstreit, Klatt is college football’s best analyst. In the game’s pivotal moment, when Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke injured his right knee as he ran up the sideline, Klatt immediately noticed something wasn’t right: “This not good. You can tell this was pre-contact.” Van Dyke was carted off the field and returned later on crutches and wearing a knee brace.
Klatt also reads teams’ strengths and weaknesses really well. In the second quarter, he mentioned Alabama needed to run inside at Wisconsin and not to the outside. The Tide pounded the middle of the Badgers’ defense and finished the drive with a touchdown.
Near halftime, Alabama got the ball back in a time purgatory when some teams run out the clock. Klatt instantly said, “If it’s me with this offense and these players, I’d be very aggressive.” On the next play, quarterback Jalen Milroe completed a 47-yard pass to true freshman Ryan Williams. Klatt then added, “They’re too explosive to sit on it,” just before Milroe hit Germie Bernard on a 26-yard touchdown strike.
Johnson can be polarizing, but few are better in big-time moments. This game did not contain any as the Tide rolled over Wisconsin — unless you’re smartly considering Milroe for the Heisman Trophy. However, one terrific exchange between Johnson and Klatt combined football with pop culture. When Johnson said Wisconsin players call offensive lineman Joe Brunner “Rip” because he looks like the enforcer character on “Yellowstone,” Klatt immediately referenced Brunner’s block: “He was taking (LT) Overton to the train station.”
“Taking him to the train station!” Johnson said. “I like that, partner!”
3. Fox mid-afternoon (Oregon 49, Oregon State 14; Jason Benetti play-by-play, Brock Huard analyst, Allison Williams sideline)
This game was competitive for the first half until the Ducks turned it on after halftime. This trio is sorely underrated on their delivery and their professionalism. Benetti is a tremendous play-by-play voice, which he showcased with the Chicago White Sox until moving to the Detroit Tigers this year. Benetti has the best pacing of all broadcasters, and his golden pipes will keep him in that position for decades to come.
Huard does an outstanding job of describing offensive line play, a major factor in both teams’ playing styles, and broke down a mesh concept on the fly with ease. Any time an analyst can teach game concepts and offensive line play in bite-sized segments, they’ve got a fan in me.
Williams had a timely sideline report about how Oregon defensive back Bryce Boettcher translates his skills tracking down fly balls as a center fielder for the baseball team. Overall, this is a quality crew that delivers a smooth, smart and informative telecast.
4. ESPN early (Memphis 20, Florida State 12; Bob Wischusen play-by-play, Louis Riddick analyst, Kris Budden sideline)
Crews three through eight are like choosing among your favorite domestic beers: It depends on your mood and your activity rather than the flavor. Wischusen always offers a quality call, whether he’s doing college football or basketball. Riddick’s observations were spot-on in this game, especially when identifying the issues impacting Florida State.
Riddick constantly brought up “self-inflicted wounds” and was at his best following an FSU targeting call. “You can see them all talking to each other,” he said. “Mistakes continue to haunt this football team.” Riddick later chided the Seminoles for “lack of concentration, lack of discipline. You can’t make an excuse for it. It’s just bad football.”
Every time I hear Riddick on a college football or NFL telecast, I just imagine him as an NFL general manager or a major college athletic director. He projects as an authority figure without coming across as overbearing. That’s a gift.
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5. ESPN mid-afternoon (Oklahoma 34, Tulane 19; Dave Pasch play-by-play, Dusty Dvoracek analyst, Taylor McGregor sideline)
This trio often gets buried because of time slot, game or competition. Pasch is the consummate pro, while Dvoracek is vastly underrated. McGregor is one of baseball’s best on-field reporters when she handles Cubs duties on Marquee.
Dvoracek really delves into different matchups, plays and coverages but just needs to avoid the cliches. Two of his breakdowns that stood out focused on how Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah moved just enough to avoid an intentional grounding call in the end zone and how the Green Wave linebackers got out late to cover on a touchdown pass from Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold to Taylor Tatum. McGregor delivered a good mid-second quarter update on Mensah’s leadership.
6. CBS mid-afternoon (Notre Dame 66, Purdue 7; Brad Nessler play-by-play, Gary Danielson analyst, Jenny Dell sideline)
Danielson starred at Purdue in the early 1970s and finally got the chance to call at a game at his alma mater. Allegedly. This was no game. This was like a high school soap scrimmage when the big suburban school travels to a small farm town.
Perhaps the best line came with Notre Dame leading 35-0 and 41 seconds left in the first half. “There’s not a lot of feeling sorry for teams in college football,” Danielson said. One penalty and one real snap later, Notre Dame was back in the end zone on a 70-yard run.
“You ever see 41-0 at the half, Ness?” Danielson asked. “I think I have,” Nessler responded. “I want to forget this one.” By the mid-third quarter, the duo started talking about Danielson’s former teammates in attendance. These things happen.
7. NBC prime time (Indiana 42, UCLA 13; Noah Eagle play-by-play, Todd Blackledge analyst, Kathryn Tappen)
Since NBC took over the Big Ten’s prime-time package last year, the network has aired 14 Big Ten-controlled prime-time games (Ohio State at Notre Dame does not count). Only one of those competitions was decided by single digits (Nebraska-Wisconsin) and the average margin is 25 points per game. All three voices of this crew are terrific in their roles, but it would be nice for them to get a few nailbiters to see what they do with it. Maybe this week with Iowa at Minnesota, this crew will get a close game. They deserve one.
As for the telecast, Blackledge did a nice job conveying what Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke saw on his first TD pass. Blackledge and Eagle also provided astute observations on new Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who Eagle described as a “win-now” coach for his portal philosophy.
8. ABC prime time (Georgia 13, Kentucky 12; Sean McDonough play-by-play, Greg McElroy analyst, Molly McGrath sideline)
McDonough is among the great voices in college football. McElroy brought some high-quality analysis and McGrath’s postgame interview with Georgia coach Kirby Smart featured candor and emotions. Few crews are better at the game action than this one.
This entire game was a white-knuckle ride, and overall, I was left wanting a little more from the crew. Conference football creates great theater among teams with shared histories, and everyone knows about the SEC’s prowess. But there’s no need to rely on the timeless mantra of “playing on the road in the SEC is so tough” to explain away the narrative. The road didn’t stop South Carolina from blasting Kentucky 31-6 the previous week. Why did the No. 1 team struggle there so badly? It never felt like they realized a monumental upset was realistic.
Their best exchange came with 14 seconds left and Georgia punting with a one-point lead. McElroy brought up how important it was for Georgia to handle the ball and simply get the kick off. Then realizing he sat next to the man who called the most famous punt disaster in college football history, McElroy said, “Sean, you know this better than most, better than all perhaps outside of Jim Harbaugh … You don’t want Jalen Watts-Jackson.”
After Georgia’s punt, McDonough slyly retorted, “There was no trouble with the snap.”
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9. ABC mid-afternoon (Texas A&M 33, Florida 20; Joe Tessitore play-by-play, Jesse Palmer analyst, Katie George sideline)
This game featured delays, downpours and blue skies with sunshine, all against the backdrop of a perpetual storm cloud hovering over Florida coach Billy Napier. Tessitore knows the sport as well as anyone, and Palmer played quarterback at Florida, so the institutional knowledge was strong.
But it was difficult to concentrate on the game and the analysis. Once Tessitore ended his play call, Palmer jumped in with an evaluation, which is exactly what you want. But Palmer fills the entire play clock until the snap, often with more filler information than analysis. It happened for the entire game. Let the viewer breathe. I really wanted to mute the telecast.
10. The CW prime time (Ole Miss 40, Wake Forest 6; Thom Brennaman play-by-play, Max Browne analyst, Treavor Scales sideline)
Brennaman resurfaced this fall following a four-year absence from the broadcast booth after he used a homophobic slur on live television during a baseball game in 2020. He was fired from the Cincinnati Reds’ television affiliate and also by Fox Sports. The idiotic remark nearly ended his broadcasting career and ruined his hall of fame resume. The CW hired him this year to call ACC and Pac-2 games.
I’m not going to judge the decision to let him back in the booth. But it’s beyond debate that he’s one of the best to ever call games, whether it’s baseball or football. His pacing is fantastic, and he helped two unknowns sound like pros in the booth on Saturday.
Their best sequence came when Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was drilled near the goal line. A penalty was called, and there was some uncertainty about how Dart’s helmet was removed (he took it off, thus the penalty). Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin called a timeout to rant, and the crew did a good job of explaining why he couldn’t show the iPad to the official or he’d get slapped with a personal foul.
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Others
CBS prime time (Colorado 28, Colorado State 9; Rich Waltz play-by-play, Ross Tucker analyst, Tiffany Blackmon sideline)
Tucker, a former NFL offensive lineman who has become a media personality, covered the gamut of analysis and wasn’t afraid to be critical. I was interested in what Colorado’s players (not quarterback Shedeur Sanders or Travis Hunter) thought about the quarterback’s postgame comments last week against Nebraska. Blackmon had a mid-game report describing Shedeur Sanders as a leader and a coach. Blackmon’s postgame interviews with Hunter and coach Deion Sanders were of high quality. But we’re talking about the possible first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft who will receive heavy scrutiny.
Fox Friday prime time (Kansas State 31, Arizona 7; Tim Brando play-by-play, Devin Gardner analyst)
There’s no more eccentric pairing than Brando and Gardner. Brando has worked in the field for four decades and accumulated more information than anyone in the business. Gardner, a former Michigan quarterback, sometimes shouts his analysis and expends quite a bit of energy in every telecast. They did have a nice back-and-forth with 13 seconds left in the first half, when Kansas State had the ball at the Arizona 19-yard line with a timeout. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson ran back and forth extending the play, and time expired as he went out of bounds. “That’s one of those moments when the lack of experience came into play,” Brando said.
“You’re playing fast, things are going on and you just kind of forget how much time is on the clock,” Gardner said.
“He’ll learn. He knows it,” Brando said.
ESPN2 mid-afternoon (Pittsburgh 38, West Virginia 34; Mike Monaco play-by-play, Kirk Morrison analyst, Dawn Davenport sideline)
This crew had some good zingers, particularly when Morrison said Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein “flicked (a tackler) away like he’s a tick.” There was a bit too much hyperbole, such as comparing Pitt receiver Daejon Reynolds to Larry Fitzgerald. A last-minute pass interference call in the end zone didn’t get analyzed enough. Also, when Holstein’s helmet came off near the goal line with 36 seconds left, nobody knew until the referee announced it. Pitt scored the game-winning touchdown on the next play, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one asking what exactly happened in the moment.
FS1 mid-afternoon (Iowa 38, Troy 21; Eric Collins play-by-play, Spencer Tillman analyst)
Perhaps the weekend’s best back-and-forth took place near the end of the first half. After a Troy touchdown, Tillman said Iowa is “not aggressive” and planned to go into halftime without taking a shot. Collins was incredulous.
“I’m telling you. They’re not there. This crowd is going to let them know it,” Tillman said.
“Senior quarterback. You’re Iowa. At home. A Big Ten team against the Sun Belt,” Collins responded.
Collins at times sounded like Gus Johnson after an espresso during an NCAA tournament buzzer beater. When Troy receiver Devonte Ross returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown, Collins shouted, “Oh my goodness! Do you have enough in the gas tank? Yesss! Touchdown Troy! Devonte Ross with 77 yards of goodness!” It was a spectacular return and probably worth breaking the sound barrier.
Fox prime time (UCF 35, TCU 34; Connor Onion play-by-play, Mark Helfrich analyst)
Onion is a rising star in this profession. He’s polished and handles the ebbs and flows so well. Only two years ago he was the voice of Southern Illinois athletics and calling minor league baseball. Helfrich, the former Oregon coach, understands the concept of brevity, which some analysts don’t grasp.
SEC Network prime time (Tennessee 71, Kent State 0; Tom Hart play-by-play, Jordan Rodgers analyst, Cole Cubelic sideline)
There are blowouts, and then there is 44-0 with 13 minutes left in the second quarter. The SEC Network squad began a deep dive into Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center, which is better known as a body farm. It served as a decent metaphor for Tennessee’s opponent until the dialogue shifted to maggots.
“I thought this was going to be a second-half conversation,” Hart said.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos: Gregory Shamus, Erica Denhoff / Icon Sportswire; Nick Tre. Smith / Icon Sportswire; Kevin Langley / Icon Sportswire via USA Today, Marc Piscotty / Getty Images)
