#1 Ohio State hosts #2 Michigan this week, and Disney outlets ABC and ESPN are doing their best to make sure the world knows it. Earlier this season, #1 Ohio State played #2 Texas on ABC in prime time, netting an 8.2 rating (higher than the 8.0 rating generated on a Saturday night by Game 1 of the World Series on FOX). This game, though in the afternoon and facing competition by Notre Dame football on NBC, could very easily score a 9 to 11 rating, which is almost unheard of for a non-NFL afternoon sporting event.
To make sure ratings are high, ESPN/ABC is hyping the event to Shaq/Kobe I levels (that game, also aired on a Saturday afternoon on ABC, scored a 7.2 rating, extremely high for the afternoon). ABC’s College Football Countdown will air a half-hour earlier, at 2:30 p.m, and last for one hour. ESPN’s College Gameday will obviously be in Columbus, OH, and ESPN2 and ESPN Classic are both overloading their schedule with analysis of the game and classic games from the past, respectively. Brent Musburger, Bob Davie and Kirk Herbstreit, fresh off calling last week’s God-awful Wake Forest/FSU game, will have announcing duties, leaving Saturday Night Football (Cal/USC) to Brad Nessler, Paul Maguire and Bob Griese.
