Your Announcing Team this Saturday vs. UConn
Apparently via press release
For those of us who will be watching the game from our homes/bars/jails, the Michigan/UConn game will be covered by Sean Mcdonough and local hero Matt Millen on ABC/ESPN2. Heather Cox is on the sideline, so at least you have that going for you.
Also, College Gameday is in Atlanta for UNC vs. LSU. That game should be interesting, what with North Carolina no longer having a defense or anything.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:52 PM ^
Beats Pam Ward.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:54 PM ^
A hobo farting up in the booth for two and a half hours beats Pam Ward.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:02 PM ^
You can always watch North Texas vs. Clemson for old time's sake.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^
It was the best news of the off season when I found out that Pam Ward was no longer doing Big 10 games, and has been moved to the ACC.
August 30th, 2010 at 10:06 PM ^
I wonder if Ray Bentley gets to hit that.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:56 PM ^
Lame that GameDay is in Atlanta. Really should be in AA. M-UConn will be a good game, plus opening of the "new" Big House, plus Mealer.... I mean, come on. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^
the no-brainer seems to lean toward UNC-LSU
two ranked teams
one won a national title 3 years ago
the other is/was almost universally expected to have a top 5 defense
plus its the chick-fil-a kickoff shazam
August 30th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
I agree. There are not too many marquee games the first weekend. I'd imagine this would be the game to go with unless Gameday thought they'd have a future matchup including LSU during SEC play (which is very plausible), or since they really like going to new places, in which case I think Oregon State v. TCU could have been a decent choice.
Interestingly, with all the TV coverage, one of the best games is Pitt at Utah, which is tucked away on Thursday night, broadcast on Versus, of all channels.
August 30th, 2010 at 11:29 PM ^
It sucks given recent events about UNC's sanctions but they put Gameday there last year too I believe, and they put it there again this year
August 30th, 2010 at 4:56 PM ^
For as crappy as he was being a team president I dont mind the guy on the mic.
He obviously knows the "game" of football and usually can break down a play pretty well. However, the guy couldn't build a team if his life depended on it
August 30th, 2010 at 5:25 PM ^
I would love to play fantasy football against Matt Millen.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:32 PM ^
I met Millen in the Detroit airport when he was Lions' Poo Bah right before he hired Mooch after the 02 season I believe. The guy treated me like royalty. I felt like he would have bought me and my buddies beers if he wasn't in a hurry. Great talker and he seemed like he was interested in what I had to say about football. He even asked me my opinion on the Parcells to Dallas rumors like I was Jay Glazer or something.
He would have succeeded Madden in the booth at Fox on the number 1 team had he not taken the Detroit job.
I don't know why I am sharing this. I guess to pump up my ego that I didn't get blown off by someone famous.
He definitely is a personable guy and 100% beer and football type vibe in person. He should have stuck with the booth. I won't be tempted to do the Frank and Brando radio call over the muted TV and all the delay issues that creates. Highest compliment I could give Millen. I think I did it in all the games he didn't do last year.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:19 PM ^
I suspect he got in some trouble for that, but it was so appropriate. He's solid. Too bad he hasn't been announcing for years and years now, really....
August 30th, 2010 at 6:46 PM ^
the guy couldn't build a team if his life depended on it
if only.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:03 PM ^
So I got that goin' for me. Which is nice.
Seriously, about Game Day; I thought we were getting Game Day on Saturday. I can't even remember; is there a BTN "Game Day" equivalent?
August 30th, 2010 at 5:04 PM ^
My only concern is that Millen's head explodes trying to decide which one of our ninja's he would hypothetically draft.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:06 PM ^
What do you mean which one?
August 30th, 2010 at 5:10 PM ^
He would probably attempt to preemptively draft Roundtree, NHL style.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^
*asplodes you mean
August 30th, 2010 at 5:13 PM ^
This may mark me as a bitter, old, grouchy @#$%er, but everytime I hear "Monotone" McDonough (whose abilities I respect), I think of the trash job he and CBS did on Michigan after the '97 season during the Nebraska-Tennessee game.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
He wasn't very monotone in the Notre Dame game last year...
August 30th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^
That would likely explain the near orgasmic excitement he displayed last year when Tate hit GMat with the game winner.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:30 PM ^
I really enjoyed White's calling of the 2007 Capital One Bowl with Michigan and Florida and I love really any game Nessler calls. I really hope we get more of his calls this year.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^
since he was at UConn's last open practice... but the rest should make it interesting
August 30th, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^
Millen is a good color guy. He also is pro Rich. We could do way worse.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:36 PM ^
any more motivation to go drop $200+ on a pair of tickets for this Saturday...
Make it happen, people. I don't want to see any Huskies in your seats. Oh, who am I kidding? UCONN could give free airfare and tickets and couldn't get 10,000 fans to show up in AA.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:38 PM ^
I think they both did an excellent job with last year's ND game. Millen was a little too ga-ga for Tate at certain points but weren't we all during that game?
Have always liked McDonough's style - understated, but he knows when to get excited (i.e. the Mathews TD). Plus being a Boston native, he gets brownie points for his Sox telecasts on WSBK.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:53 PM ^
I really like Sean McDonough. I'm pretty happy for this pairing. Brad Nessler can't do the game because he does SEC night games on ESPN.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^
On another subject, am I to understand that as long as I have ABC and ESPN2, I am guaranteed to get the Michigan game?
I cant find coverage maps yet and just wanted to make sure. Thanks!
August 30th, 2010 at 6:04 PM ^
If you live in Ohio like me you always get the ESPN Telecast of the Michigan game.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:10 PM ^
I'm actually in Eugene, OR for the season.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
Thats a drive from Ann Arbor my friend and if I were you I'd try to check with my local cable company to see what college football game's your able to pick up on Satuday at 3:30 pm. I would imagine your getting mostly the Ducks of course and the rest of the Pac -10, Mountain West and the WAC.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:25 PM ^
Well the way I'm reading it I think I'll be ok.
There are three games listed on ABC at 330ET. Mich v UConn, UCLA v KSU, and Kentucky v Louisville.
Of those three, only Mich v UConn is also listed on ESPN2. So I think I'll get UCLA on ABC because of my location and Michigan will roll over to ESPN2.
The only problem I see is if Kentucky is somehow on the deuce over Michigan and that doesn't seem likely.
Let me know if I am missing something because I'll spring for Gameday if I have to.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:40 PM ^
I think Michigan-UCONN is the default "national" broadcast and the UCLA and the Kentucky are the regional broadcasts. Since you life in Pac-10 country, I'd think they might put UCLA on ABC, and roll M onto ESPN2. I'm fairly certain that no one in the country won't have the Michigan game (i.e. they get both the UCLA and the UK game). I say this because both UCLA and UK games are available on gameplan, but the M game is not.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:43 PM ^
Yup, that's how I'm reading it, and that's what I'm hoping for.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
The Big 10 is no longer on Gameday. If the game is scheduled in an ABC slot, then it will be broadcast on one of the ESPN networks if another game is on ABC locally. It's a super-sweetheart deal if you've got BTN in your area--it'll be almost impossible to miss a game. I have been in SoCal the last two seasons and have had no problems.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:13 PM ^
We can only hope for some, "If you look closely there is a jock strap on the field, and it belongs to (insert poor UConn defender's name)" calls next Saturday.
August 31st, 2010 at 8:47 AM ^
August 30th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
August 30th, 2010 at 6:30 PM ^
Hoping for a good coverage map before Friday. Have to set the DVR for replay before I leave. Sometimes those maps aren't finalized until Saturday morning. Given that I am in CT I assume we will get it on ABC.
August 30th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^
You'll get it on ABC, it's a hometown market.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
Sean and Matt did a decent job on the ND game last year. (Touchdown! Greg Mathews!)
I can live with this. Though Millen still brings up awful memories with the Lions, he's not that bad with the color commentary.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:23 PM ^
Anyone else notice that Drew Henson is listed as a commentator for the Norfolk St. vs. Rutgers game on ESPN3? Haven't seen or heard anything about him since he was cut by Detroit so it's good to see he's getting back into football.
August 30th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
He did a solid job last year doing some of our games so I can live with that. To be honest I'm so excited for the game I don't care who the commentators are...unless of course we got stuck with Pam Ward.