ESPN college football is the brand name for the college football games played at NCAA Division I FBS institutions. The network has been broadcasting the game since 1982. It features college teams from all over the country. There are many different shows on ESPN that cover college football. However, the most popular ones are those that are broadcast in prime time.
Pat McAfee
Former NFL punter Pat McAfee has signed a multi-year contract with ESPN to be an analyst on its college football show College Gameday. The former Colts punter and podcaster has already made appearances on College GameDay in the past. The new deal will see him join the panel on a Saturday morning pregame show. The deal is reportedly worth $120 million over four years.
McAfee has been working with various media outlets this summer and is now a full-time member of the College GameDay team. He’ll be in Austin, Texas, this weekend to cover the Texas vs. Alabama game. This is an exciting development for college football fans, who may be able to see the former punter on a much larger screen than they otherwise would.
Al Michaels
Amazon has signed up Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit to call Thursday Night Football. Both men are at the top of their fields and had a long history of working together. The two were previously partners at NBC, but the new deal with Amazon allows them to work together on a new platform. Michaels’s contract is for three years.
Michaels has been a sportscaster since 1978 and has appeared on numerous shows and websites. His ABC broadcasts include the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and NBA. Michaels has been a host of numerous specials and programs on sports since his start in broadcasting.
Kirk Herbstreit
If you love college football, you’ll probably enjoy the color commentary offered by ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Herbstreit provides the color commentary for college football games on ESPN and ABC, as well as Thursday Night NFL games on Amazon Prime Video. His expertise in this area helps make the college football coverage on ESPN and ABC much more compelling for fans.
ESPN’s college football coverage isn’t mediocre, and Herbstreit has been a staple on the network’s “College GameDay” pregame show since its inception. He’s a great color commentator and has excellent chemistry with Chris Fowler.
Stetson Bennett
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett recently appeared on ESPN College Gameday. He spoke with host Marty Smith about the changes the Bulldogs have made since winning the national championship last season. Bennett has been named the starter and has been practicing with the starting group this off-season. He could be a big payoff for Georgia this season.
Bennett grew up wanting to play for Georgia. However, he only had one scholarship offer from an FBS school out of high school. After walking on to the Bulldogs, he later decided to attend junior college. He returned in 2019 to play for the Bulldogs.
St. Francis University Red Flash
The Saint Francis University Red Flash football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and the Northeast Conference. They play their home games at the 3,500-seat DeGol Field and are led by head coach Chris Villarrial. The team has played well since Villarrial took over as head coach in 2009 and is the all-time winningest coach at SFU. In 2019, the Red Flash finished 6-6 and had the best passing offense in the NEC. Their defense was the third-best in scoring and total defense and ranked 13th in FCS.
The Mountain Hawks led Saint Francis 10-0 at halftime and scored two touchdowns in the second half. However, the Saint Francis Red Flash rallied to win 14-13 at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Quarterback Jason Brown threw touchdown passes to EJ Jenkins and Terell Johnson in the comeback. This game was the Red Flash’s first-ever NCAA Division I playoff appearance.
Minnesota Gophers
The Minnesota Gophers are in a good spot heading into the 2017 season. They are one of the top teams in the Big Ten, with 18 players making the ESPN College Football Top 100. In fact, two players are already ranked in the top 100, Mohamed Ibrahim and John Michael Schmitz. Mohamed is a running back and Schmitz is a center. They rank 28th and 73rd, respectively.
This season, the Gophers’ schedule has a few interesting games. In addition to Clemson at Wake Forest, the Gophers are playing two games against ACC teams and the ACC. While these games may be a bit lopsided, the Gophers should have a good shot. The ESPN College Football Power Index will predict every game in the season, from the first to the last.
