College football fans need not worry about another low-key performance by Gus Johnson, the lead Fox play-by-play voice, as he watches Ohio State blast its opponent on the ‘Big Noon’ broadcast.
The network’s top announcing crew won’t be with the Buckeyes this weekend.
Instead, Johnson and Joel Klatt are headed to Boulder to watch two-loss Colorado face five-loss Utah.
It’s not Ohio State-Michigan. Heck, it’s not even Ohio State-Indiana. But it’s arguably the best Week 12 option available for the ‘Big Noon’ window.
Fox typically leans on the Big Ten to fill the 12 p.m. Eastern time slot, and there are no good options this week in a conference with four ranked teams and intense mediocrity across the other 14. Penn State and Indiana are idle, while Ohio State and Oregon are facing Northwestern and Wisconsin, respectively.
This isn’t exactly a new development, however.
Big Noon was a raging success in previous years but has lost luster in 2024 due to a confluence of factors:
— Until this season, Fox had the option to air Texas and Oklahoma games through its media deal with the Big 12. But the Longhorns and Sooners are now in the SEC, which has an exclusive media deal with ESPN and ABC.
— Meanwhile, the revamped Big 12 is devoid of storied programs that attract millions of viewers from coast to coast.
— Two of the biggest brands in the Big Ten, Michigan and USC, are floundering.
— The Big Ten’s media deal, which Fox crafted, provides NBC and CBS with the option to take a handful of major showdowns each season.
Toss everything into a cauldron, and the inventory options for ‘Big Noon’ are not nearly as tasty as they once were.
Oh, and there’s this: Colorado’s ratings have dropped precipitously year-over-year even though the Buffaloes are light years better than they were in 2023.
Last year, the Buffs appeared on Nielsen-rated networks nine times and averaged 6.03 million viewers — an astounding number for a program not named Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia or Alabama.
This season, they have appeared on Nielsen-rated networks nine times and are averaging 3.64 million viewers.
Last year, the Buffs topped the 5 million-viewer mark five times.
This year, they have cleared that bar once, against Nebraska, although there are three games remaining. (Note: Ratings data taken from SportsMediaWatch.com.)
Despite the decline, Deion Sanders and Co. are still the best option for Fox this week and one of the best options any week.
The only Big 12 games this season that have generated at least 3 million viewers involve Colorado.
The TCU-Texas Tech matchup drew 2.36 million. Utah-Oklahoma State drew 2.14 million. Others have been in the 2 million range. But only Colorado games have exceeded 3 million.
Without Texas and Oklahoma, the conference just doesn’t have the brands to produce premier ratings.
Other than the Deion Sanders brand, of course.
News, notes and nuggets
— With the Week 11 ratings now official, we can update the season totals: ABC is responsible for 14 of the 18 games that have drawn at least 6 million viewers, with Fox claiming two and NBC and CBS one each.
In other words, the ratings game is a blowout.
— Brigham Young’s comeback victory over Utah in a thrilling Holy War drew 2.07 million viewers. According to SportsMediaWatch, that is the largest late-game audience of the season for a matchup that doesn’t involve Colorado.
— ESPN’s ‘CollegeGameDay’ will broadcast live from Athens ahead of the Georgia-Tennessee game.
— Fox’s ‘Big Noon Kickoff,’ which usually serves as a promotional tool for the network’s premier game, will visit Boulder.
Viewer’s guide: Week 12
You might think a mid-November Saturday would bring a bevy of marquee matchups across the land. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. This is a relatively light weekend with just one monster matchup. Not surprisingly, it’s in the SEC. A handful of other games have playoff ramifications, however.
(All times Pacific)
Utah at Colorado (9 a.m. on Fox): A chance for the Utes to play the spoiler with CU churning toward a berth in the Big 12 title game. They whiffed in the role last weekend (against BYU). Will they execute this time? TV crew: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft
Tennessee at Georgia (4:30 p.m. on ABC): On the list of things the Vols did not want to see this week, No. 1 was Georgia getting thoroughly disrespected by the CFP selection committee. The last time the Bulldogs were angry, they overwhelmed Texas. TV crew: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge
Oregon at Wisconsin (4:30 p.m. on NBC): The Ducks should roll, but keep this game on your radar just in case something unexpected happens. TV crew: Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen
Kansas at BYU (7:15 p.m. on ESPN): If what’s past is prologue, the Cougars will secure victory with three or four seconds remaining. TV crew: Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich
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