College Football: Week 12 announcer pairings
By Tim Kaiser
Find out which announcer pairings will be calling the biggest and best games of Week 12 as conference races near their conclusion.
Last week the schedule on paper appeared to be lackluster. There were only two games that matched Top 25 teams and those were not even that appealing. However, by the time Saturday night was giving way to Sunday morning, Week 11 was already dubbed the best day in college football that anyone could remember. This week has slightly more shine going in with three Top 25 games and serious conference championship implications. However, if we learned anything from last week it’s that there is no telling where lightning will strike and an announcer will call a season-changing moment.
The most intriguing game on Saturday is No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 14 West Virginia. The outcome will have significant impact on the Big 12 champion as well as the College Football Playoff race. ESPN’s lead announcer team will call the game in prime time on ABC.
Kirk Herbstreit and Samantha Ponder will be flying into Morgantown from an unexpected location. College GameDay will be visiting Western Michigan for the first time. The Broncos are the only team besides Alabama that is still undefeated. The lopsided matchup with the Buffalo Bulls (2-8) will be broadcast on ESPNU with play-by-play announcer Mark Jones and color commentator Rod Gilmore.
Brent Musburger and his lead SEC Network announcer crew of Jesse Palmer and Kaylee Hartung will be calling the makeup game from Hurricane Matthew of No. 23 Florida at No. 16 LSU. The Gators are attempting to clinch the SEC East for the second straight year.
No. 22 Washington State and No. 10 Colorado meet up with each team leading their respective divisions of the Pac-12. Fox Sports’ lead broadcast team of Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Shannon Spake will be on the call in Boulder.
Saturday
No. 11 Oklahoma State at TCU- 12 p.m. ET
- Network: FS1
- Play-by-Play: Tim Brando
- Color Commentator: Spencer Tillman
- Sideline Reporter: Bruce Feldman
No. 7 Wisconsin at Purdue- 12 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC
- Play-by-Play: Mike Patrick
- Color Commentator: Ed Cunningham
- Sideline Reporter: Jerry Punch
No. 2 Ohio State at Michigan State- 12 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Joe Tessitore
- Color Commentator: Todd Blackledge
- Sideline Reporter: Holly Rowe
No. 23 Florida at No. 16 LSU- 1 p.m. ET
- Network: SEC Network
- Play-by-Play: Brent Musburger
- Color Commentator: Jesse Palmer
- Sideline Reporter: Kaylee Hartung
Missouri at No. 19 Tennessee– 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: CBS
- Play-by-Play: Verne Lundquist
- Color Commentator: Gary Danielson
- Sideline Reporter: Allie LaForce
No. 22 Washington State at No. 10 Colorado- 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: FOX
- Play-by-Play: Gus Johnson
- Color Commentator: Joel Klatt
- Sideline Reporter: Shannon Spake
Buffalo at No. 21 Western Michigan- 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPNU
- Play-by-Play: Mark Jones
- Color Commentator: Rod Gilmore
- Sideline Reporter: Quint Kessenich
No. 8 Penn State at Rutgers- 8 p.m. ET
- Network: Big Ten Network
- Play-by-Play: Kevin Kugler
- Color Commentator: Matt Millen
- Sideline Reporter: Lisa Byington
No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 14 West Virginia- 8 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC
- Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler
- Color Commentator: Kirk Herbstreit
- Sideline Reporter: Samantha Ponder
No. 13 USC at UCLA- 10:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Steve Levy
- Color Commentator: Brian Griese
- Sideline Reporter: Todd McShay
Announcer pairings courtesy of Daniel Ormsby of Eye on Sky and Air Sports.