ABC drew an 8.5 overnight rating for Florida State’s come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame on Saturday night, easily marking the most-watched college football game of the ’14 season to date. The figure also is the best non-BCS college football overnight on any ESPN network since ABC drew a 10.0 overnight for Notre Dame-USC on Nov. 11, 2012 (THE DAILY).
COMIN' TO YOUR CITY? MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds noted former NFLer Brett Favre "was a no-show" for ESPN's "College GameDay" in Tallahassee despite being promoted in the days leading up to the broadcast as one of two guest pickers. Host Chris Fowler said that Favre was "unable to make the trip ... due to a mechanical problem with his flight." That left former MLBer Ken Griffey Jr. "as the sole guest picker" (
MULTICHANNEL.com, 10/18). Meanwhile, the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION noted starting with "GameDay," the "show of support" by FSU fans for embattled QB Jameis Winston "dominated the day." The signs behind the “GameDay” crew of Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard "had a frequent hashtag: #blamejameis." They were "frequently exaggerated to prove the fans’ point." The "best ones" included "The Titanic? #blamejameis," and "Ball through Buckner's legs? #blamejameis." Many students and fans also "dressed as witches to denote a witch hunt" (
JACKSONVILLE.com, 10/18).
AUSTIN POWER-LESS: In Des Moines, Tommy Birch noted the start of Iowa State-Texas on Saturday was "full of exciting moments," but fans who "planned on watching it on Cyclones.tv, you missed them all." Technical difficulties "delayed the start of Saturday's game," and with about six minutes left in the second quarter and the score 21-21, Cyclones.tv "at last began airing the feed from The Longhorn Network." Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard said the "transmission evidently got to Atlanta but it wasn't getting from Atlanta to Ames." The network "did air John Walters' radio broadcast (audio only) during much of the technical issues." The broadcast had been considered a "big moment for the Iowa State television network" (DES MOINES REGISTER, 10/19).
