Here are the announcer pairings for the best, biggest, and most anticipated games of the second week of the college football season.
We are finally entering the “normal” part of the college football season. There was that odd “Week 0” opening weekend. Then there was the real opening weekend that was wall-to-wall football for the entire extended holiday weekend with broadcasters working multiple games. Now, the announcer pairings go back to their normal schedule.
The creeping of football into the work week did not entirely end with opening weekend. Friday night has games for the two biggest college football broadcasting competitors. Tim Brando’s team will call the more competitive game, Ohio at Purdue, on FS1. Meanwhile, Adam Amin’s crew gets the marquee team of the night with No. 11 Oklahoma State at South Alabama on ESPN2.
Saturday is a slow build to four games that feature ranked opponents across the networks that night. Things get started with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Todd McShay calling No. 13 Auburn at No. 3 Clemson at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
A half hour later, ESPN kicks off their featured game, No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 2 Ohio State, on ABC with their lead broadcast team of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Maria Taylor. At the same time, Mike Tirico is calling No. 24 Notre Dame’s game with the 15th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs and true freshman Jake Fromm on NBC.
Gus Johnson and FOX will close the night with No. 14 Stanford at No. 6 USC. The Trojans and Cardinals will kick off at 8:30 p.m.
Brad Nessler begins his tenure as the voice of the SEC on CBS on Saturday afternoon with No. 23 TCU at Arkansas. Nessler was the broadcaster-in-waiting until the legend Verne Lundquist’s retirement last season. Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce remain on the broadcast team as the color commentator and sideline reporter.
Announcer pairings courtesy of Daniel Ormsby of Eye on Sky and Air Sports.
Friday
Ohio at Purdue, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Network: FS1
- Play-by-Play: Tim Brando
- Color Commentator: Spencer Tillman
- Sideline Reporter: Holly Sonders
No. 11 Oklahoma State at South Alabama, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN2
- Play-by-Play: Adam Amin
- Color Commentator: Dusty Dvoracek
- Sideline Reporter: Molly McGrath
Saturday
Cincinnati at No. 8 Michigan, 12:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC
- Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen
- Color Commentator: Brock Huard
- Sideline Reporter: Allison Williams
No. 17 Louisville at North Carolina, 12:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
- Color Commentator: Greg McElroy
- Sideline Reporter: Tom Luginbill
Pittsburgh at No. 4 Penn State, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC
- Play-by-Play: Joe Tessitore
- Color Commentator: Todd Blackledge
- Sideline Reporter: Holly Rowe
No. 23 TCU at Arkansas, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: CBS
- Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler
- Color Commentator: Gary Danielson
- Sideline Reporter: Allie LaForce
Nebraska at Oregon, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Network: FOX
- Play-by-Play: Joe Davis
- Color Commentator: Brady Quinn
- Sideline Reporter: Bruce Feldman
No. 13 Auburn at No. 3 Clemson, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Steve Levy
- Color Commentator: Brian Griese
- Sideline Reporter: Todd McShay
No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 2 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC
- Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler
- Color Commentator: Kirk Herbstreit
- Sideline Reporter: Maria Taylor
No. 15 Georgia at No. 24 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Network: NBC
- Play-by-Play: Mike Tirico
- Color Commentator: Doug Flutie
- Sideline Reporter: Kathryn Tappen
No. 14 Stanford at No. 6 USC, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Network: FOX
- Play-by-Play: Gus Johnson
- Color Commentator: Joel Klatt
- Sideline Reporter: Jenny Taft
Next: 25 Bold Predictions for the Top 25 - Week 2
The rest of the season will look much more like Week 2 than Week 1. The announcers much like the players will be settling into their assignments. This week’s slate of games is not only one of the best you will see all season but will give you an idea of which announcer pairings you are going to have to watch on mute the rest of the year.