It’s the biggest game of the day in college football, nothing else comes close this week, and Ohio State-Penn State has justifiably attracted the two major pregame TV shows to provide a combined five hours of on-site hype — basically an infomercial for Penn State football and, by extension, the university, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.
ESPN’s College GameDay, which airs 9 a.m. to noon, and Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, which airs 10 a.m. to noon, are on site for somewhat different reasons, though, and those differences exemplify the clear distinction in the shows. They also impact how fans, including some in Happy Valley, perceive and value the shows.
ESPN’s traveling pregame show, which last visited Penn State for the Auburn game in 2021, decided to visit because it’s the most important game on the schedule.
It’s No. 3 vs. No. 4, with so many compelling storylines — everything from the James Franklin-as-Charlie Brown-and-Ohio State-as-Lucy, can-it-ever-happen perspective to the pressure on the pricey Buckeyes and Ryan Day to perform. There’s also do-everything Penn State tight end Tyler Warren and outspoken Ohio State quarterback and Pennsylvania native Will Howard. And those things are just the start of what will get discussed.
College GameDay, which has been on air for 38 seasons and traveling the country for 31, almost invariably focuses on one of the week’s best games, moving away from that approach only for special occasions that make sense — some stellar storyline at a smaller school, perhaps.
Because of that approach and its longevity, GameDay has woven itself into the fabric of college football.
Its key analysts and on-air personalities feel like family for viewers. It’s the original and standard setting show for on-site productions with more than a dozen Emmy Awards to its credit for production and technical approaches as well as the talent.
It’s Just Business
By contrast, Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff is here, for the second time this season and third time in its brief history, because that’s the company’s business model. The show consistently, and almost exclusively, originates from the site of a noon game that’ll be broadcast on Fox.
It’s part of a business model that has worked well for the network.
Those noon games often rank among the most-viewed matchups on any given Saturday. Some fans might not like them, suggesting instead that high-profile games deserve to be played at night, but there’s no such thing as “deserve” when a network is paying the kind of money Fox forks over to the Big Ten Conference.
The schools know to smile, take the money and play when told. It’s just good business for everyone involved.
So, Fox typically sticks to the script and focuses on its business, not the bigger picture. Just look at a few weeks ago, Oct. 12, a day that included Ohio State-Oregon, Texas-Oklahoma, LSU-Ole Miss and even Penn State-USC.
GameDay went to the site of the biggest game, Ohio State-Oregon, even though the game itself was broadcast by NBC. Because Fox had none of those four games, Big Noon Kickoff went to Arizona-BYU. Why? Well, the game was airing on Fox — an easy peasy business decision.
It just was not a decision about college football fans or any big-picture topics for the sport. As a result, the show felt lesser, and even less interested in being more.
It’s probably not surprising some fans feel the same about the show.
Dollars, Cents and Sensibilities
If things go as expected, as many as 5 million combined viewers (maybe a tad less) might watch the two pregame shows Saturday and the game itself should get to, perhaps, 10 million viewers.
With teams from the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania three days before Election Day, it’s an appealing broadcast for advertisers and a lucrative day for Fox, which had this game pretty much penciled in for a noon start since weeks before the season begin. Sure, Oregon-Michigan was a slight option, but Ohio State-Penn State always made more sense.
While the shows look a alike — an outdoor studio with a big desk full of analysts and some smaller side sets for special segments — and even the rundowns and staging of things can seem similar, the approach and mindset differs in noticeable ways.
Especially with the addition of Pat McAfee the past couple of seasons, ESPN has embraced the fun that can permeate college football, and the show seems genuine in that approach. Yes, McAfee is more entertainer than anything else, but that’s OK. It certainly resonates with those who attend in person and there’s enough substance amidst the silliness that even older, more traditional viewers can find something worth appreciating.
Plus, McAfee has to be a little bit likeable when he’s willing to give away his money with that kicking contest each week, right?
ESPN’s on-air roster includes steady host Rece Davis, analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard and, of course, former Alabama coach Nick Saban and longtime analyst and former coach Lee Corso. His role has been more strategic in recent season because of age and health, but Corso resonates. Fans have been watching him for more than three decades, so they’re connected, invested and surprisingly patient. In many ways he’s become a likeable grandfather for viewers and it’s clear the people he works with love him.
In part because the relationship has been much shorter, the Big Noon Kickoff on-air team has not built as strong of a connection with those watching. Or with those who turn out in person.
Former quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn certainly know their Xs and Os and played at a high level. Coach-turned-analyst Urban Meyer won everywhere he coached. Plus, there’s center stage analyst Mark Ingram, a Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Bowler in the NFL, and host Rob Stone.
It’s a decent group, and they seem to get along, but because the show has been doing the on-site thing for just three seasons (it started traveling in 2022), some interactions often seem a little less comfortable for them. Plus, the show has never been nationally invested, often leaning toward Ohio State games as a backdrop the first couple of years and even doing three consecutive Colorado games when Deion Sanders took over out there. Again, business.
In addition, opportunities to connect seem elusive because the personalities (aside from Ingram who was an upgrade in that role) seem uninterested in being personable. There’s no need to pander like McAfee, but Meyer could lean into bad-guy moments, things that would logically arise for a former national championship winning Ohio State coach on a weekend like this one, for example.
When Big Noon Kickoff was here for the UCLA game, though, he, or maybe it was the show’s producers, seemed uncomfortable with a that approach. So, the show felt generic and little vanilla as a result.
Penn State, and Penn State fans, are blessed to have both shows on site for the game. Many schools would love to have just one of these shows on site, let alone both.
The shows originate from the Bryce Jordan Center (Big Noon Kickoff at Gate B and College GameDay at Gate C), so it’ll be easy for fans on site to sample them before the game. If you’ve never checked one out before, you should.
If you’re pressed for time and need to pick one, the models and options are clear.
A quick business trip, just to say you saw a pregame show in person? Go to Big Noon Kickoff, it’ll be a little closer and less out of the way as you walk to Beaver Stadium.
Want to see the best one? The one that matters and probably cares about college football like you do? Well, then walk to Gate C and take in everything that makes College GameDay special.
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