Here are the announcer pairings for the best, biggest, and most anticipated games of the ninth week of the college football season.
It is a huge weekend for college football. There are four games that pit ranked teams against each other scattered across the major networks for their top announcer pairings. Oddly, all kick off well before prime time.
The day will get started with No. 11 Oklahoma State at No. 22 West Virginia. The ESPN Second-team of Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, and Holly Rowe will be in Morgantown to call the game.
The 3:30 p.m. eastern time slot is going to make you wish you had a Best Buy showroom amount of TVs. The final three ranked matchups of the day will take place in that late afternoon stretch. That is on top of the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” being featured on CBS.
Fox Sports got the best of the deal with the weekend’s premier game, No. 2 Penn State at No. 6 Ohio State. Fox predictably sent their top team of Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft.
NBC gets a doozy in No. 14 NC State at No. 9 Notre Dame. Mike Tirico is back in the booth with Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen on the sideline.
ESPN is going regional for both their afternoon games. If you are east of Colorado, you will see No. 4 TCU play No. 25 Iowa State on ABC. UCLA at No. 12 Washington will be on ESPN2. If you live on the West Coast it will be the opposite.
The featured game on ABC is oddly region-specific as well. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will be heard on ABC by less than half the country for Georgia Tech-Clemson. Texas Tech-Oklahoma will be on ABC for basically everyone west of the Mississippi River and in West Virginia — presumably because of their Big 12 ties. ESPN2 will be the alternate channel once again.
Saturday
No. 11 Oklahoma State at No. 22 West Virginia, 12:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC
- Play-by-Play: Joe Tessitore
- Color Commentator: Todd Blackledge
- Sideline Reporter: Holly Rowe
No. 14 NC State at No. 9 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: NBC
- Play-by-Play: Mike Tirico
- Color Commentator: Doug Flutie
- Sideline Reporter: Kathryn Tappen
No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: FOX
- Play-by-Play: Gus Johnson
- Color Commentator: Joel Klatt
- Sideline Reporter: Jenny Taft
UCLA at No. 12 Washington, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC/ESPN2
- Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen
- Color Commentator: Brock Huard
- Sideline Reporter: Allison Williams
No. 4 TCU at No. 25 Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC/ESPN2
- Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
- Color Commentator: Greg McElroy
- Sideline Reporter: Tom Luginbill
No. 3 Georgia vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: CBS
- Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler
- Color Commentator: Gary Danielson
- Sideline Reporter: Allie LaForce
No. 16 Michigan State at Northwestern, 3:30 PM ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Anish Shroff
- Color Commentator: Ahmad Brooks
- Sideline Reporter: Roddy Jones
Mississippi State at Texas A&M, 7:15 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Mark Jones
- Color Commentator: Rod Gilmore
- Sideline Reporter: Quint Kessenich
Georgia Tech at No. 7 Clemson, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC/ESPN2
- Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler
- Color Commentator: Kirk Herbstreit
- Sideline Reporter: Maria Taylor
Texas Tech at No. 10 Oklahoma, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ABC/ESPN2
- Play-by-Play: Steve Levy
- Color Commentator: Brian Griese
- Sideline Reporter: Todd McShay
Next: 25 Bold Predictions for the Top 25 - Week 9
No. 15 Washington State at Arizona, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Network: Pac-12 Network
- Play-by-Play: Roxy Bernstein
- Color Commentator: Anthony Herron
- Sideline Reporter: Lewis Johnson
No. 21 USC at Arizona State, 10:45 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Beth Mowins
- Color Commentator: Anthony Becht
- Sideline Reporter: Rocky Boiman
Be sure to check out the rest of the site for all your non-broadcaster-related previews for Week 9.
Announcer pairings courtesy of Daniel Ormsby of Eye on Sky and Air Sports.