It’s a transitional year for college football, as the sport – arguably America’s second most popular, behind the all-conquering NFL – moves from the controversial BCS system to a more favoured four-team playoff.
This will end with the two best teams in the nation playing for the National Championship in January 2015.
ESPN is the key broadcaster of college football and it’s the self-professed worldwide leader in sports, providing the bulk of coverage for hours and hours on Saturdays (Sundays in Australia) via various outlets including ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPNU and the new SEC Network.
As players and coaches move about during the off-season, some leaving and some arriving, so do the broadcasters.
With new faces in new places for the ESPN, here are my gradings of the on-camera teams who will bring football games to life on our screens from late August through early January.
Grade: A+
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox
Out goes Brent Musburger and in comes the host of College Game Day, Chris Fowler, to work with Herbie and Heather mostly on the primetime ABC game – Saturday Night Football – each week (but sometimes on ESPN, too).
It may prove to be a long season for Fowler and Herbstreit, preparing for a game and the GameDay broadcast, but this should be a potent combination.
Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe
This returning trio will mostly call the top ESPN game of the weekend, but sometimes an ABC game, and there are few better combinations in broadcasting.
Nessler is excitable but doesn’t go crazy, Blackledge is an excellent analyst – and his ‘Taste of the town’ segment is great – while Rowe does the best she can with a thankless job.
Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Todd McShay
McDonough and Spielman being reunited a few seasons back was one of the smartest moves ESPN has ever made. McDonough’s call is dramatic and exciting, and Spielman, while perhaps not the most technical X’s and O’s guy, is certainly enthusiastic, and his genuine, overriding love of football really shines through whenever he talks.
You tune in weekly to see what these two will come up with – great chemistry between two guys who’re obviously friends. Despite McShay’s presence here, this team definitely rates an A+.
Grade: A
Dave Pasch, Brian Griese and Tom Luginbill
Stuck mostly on a midday ESPN game, this trio doesn’t get enough love.
Luginbill, a mainstay on ESPNU for years before a promotion to the mothership last year, is more of an analyst than a reporter, and nicely complements the well-spoken Griese and Pasch, whose work with ESPN, especially calling NBA basketball, is top notch.
Love listening to these guys.
Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack and Samantha Ponder
The crew on ESPN’s big Thursday night match-up reminds me of a group of friends getting together to make comment on a football game. Palmer and Pollack aren’t short of things to say, and Davis, freed from the studio once a week, is as good at directing their traffic as he is at producing an exciting call.
Really thought Davis would get GameDay when Fowler went to Saturday Night Football, but he’s obviously still a valued employee at ESPN. Ponder, like most sideline reports, doesn’t add much.
Joe Tessitore, Brock Huard and Shannon Spake
Like Gus Johnson in his CBS March Madness games, if you assign a game to Joe Tessitore it’s going to be crazy,wild and exciting. Think back to some of the most insane games in recent memory and it’s a pretty fair bet that Tess was calling it.
Thankfully, he’s been released from the disaster that is Matt Millen, upgrading to Brock Huard and former NASCAR reporter Spake on the sidelines.
Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer and Maria Taylor
A shame to see ‘Big Game’ Brent relegated from primetime ABC to relative anonymity on the just-launched SEC Network. But at least he’s on TV somewhere so we can hear his gambling references and, of course, “You are looking live at…”
Musburger certainly hasn’t lost his step, and will team nicely with Palmer for the SEC Network’s biggest game each week.
Grade: B
Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore and Jessica Mendoza
A broadcast team that isn’t going to grab anyone by the scruff of the neck, but, at the same time, they’re not going to create any controversy, either. It’s all about football here.
Jones calls a solid game, conveying all important information, and Gilmore gets better as an analyst each season. Can’t understand the social media hate for him.
Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway and Paul Carcaterra
The only female play-by-play commentator in college football is well complemented by former star receiver Galloway, and ex-lacrosse star Carcaterra does what he can on the sidelines.
Mowins is streets ahead of the other female who’s recently called college football: the truly awful Pam Ward. This is a solid combination.
Dave Lamont and Desmond Howard
Always liked Lamont, and Howard, a Michigan legend, has become a big part of the all-conquering College GameDay.
The two will team up for occasional weekday games, most of which will be high-powered MAC contests. Should be fun listening to them broadcast that MACtion.
Grade: C
Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham and Jeannine Edwards
I like Cunningham and I feel sorry that he’s been saddled with Patrick in recent years, after some good work with veteran Ron Franklin.
Honestly, I can’t get excited about a game Patrick’s calling, though he is prone to strange turns – remember when he asked what Britney was up to? – so this could be labelled train wreck television.
Not my favourite broadcast team. I’m only watching if they’re calling USC.
Dave Flemming, Danny Kanell and Allison Williams
A new combination on Friday nights, most of which, outside of the occasional PAC-12 contest, I don’t watch much. Kanell’s Captain Obvious moments annoy me. Better to say nothing than say something that’s so glaringly in-your-face obvious that you look like an idiot.
ESPN seem to like him, because he’ll be working the ABC Saturday Night Football studio this year. No idea why. Then again, ESPN seemed to love Matt Millen, too, so there’s no accounting for taste.
Grade: D
Bob Wischusen, Matt Millen and Quint Kessenich
Obvious Wischusen, the radio voice for the New York Jets, has upset someone at ESPN, because he’s been saddled with arguably the worst analyst in the game.
Matt Millen hands this team a D grading. The former Penn State lineman has zero redeeming features as a broadcaster, except, perhaps, that his frequent stupidity allows those of us who love social media to go to town.
Wischusen is a great play-by-play guy and deserves more. Kessenich is solid.
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