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Iron Bowl Scores Best Overnight Of Season On CBS; Fox Hits Record High With OSU-Michigan

CBS on Saturday afternoon drew a 7.8 overnight rating for Auburn's 26-14 win over Alabama, marking the best figure for a college football game this season to date. The rating in the 3:30pm ET window is the best for any non-SEC Championship CFB game on CBS since the Iron Bowl drew an 8.6 overnight in '13. The rating also is up 66% from the same matchup last year. Meanwhile, Fox on Saturday afternoon in the 12:00pm window drew a 6.7 overnight for Ohio State's 31-20 win over Michigan, marking the net's best figure yet for a CFB game. However, that figure is down 36% from a 10.4 rating on ABC last year, when both schools were ranked in the top 10 and the game went to double OT. OSU's rout of UM in '15 drew a 6.8 overnight on ABC. On Friday, ABC earned a 3.2 overnight for Pitt's upset over previously undefeated Miami in the noon window, up from a 2.1 for Houston-Memphis in the comparable game last year. ABC also earned a 3.2 rating in the 3:30pm window Friday for UCF's win over USF, up from a 2.2 for Nebraska-Iowa last year. On Friday night, ESPN earned a 2.3 rating for Clemson's blowout win over South Carolina, up from a 1.5 last year for the Florida-Florida State broadcast (Karp & Carpenter, THE DAILY).

JUMP AROUND: AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Andrew Bucholtz wrote CBS' Gary Danielson displayed an "excellent example of play prediction" during Alabama-Auburn, "calling a jump pass touchdown" from Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson before it happened. Danielson on the call said, "I was here three weeks ago, and I saw Kerryon Johnson do the Tim Tebow jump pass from the Wildcat in this position." Johnson completed the TD pass on the ensuing play. Bucholtz wrote that is "nice work from Danielson to translate this back to what he previously saw, and to anticipate such a critical play" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 11/25). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick noted Danielson's call was one of the "best" of the weekend (N.Y. POST, 11/27). Meanwhile, THE ATHLETIC's John Walters wrote on a second potential Auburn score, Danielson "noted a rarely used wideout who had just entered the game lining up in the slot and advised the audience to watch" for Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham to target him (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/26).

NOT FOR EVERYONE?
 THE ATHLETIC's Walters wrote ESPN's Chris Fowler is as "professional and well-prepared as anyone with an earpiece, but as a play-by-play announcer he is ill-suited to be calling the highest-profile college game of the week in primetime week in and week out." His calls "lack the passion and fun that are the hallmarks of memorable college football broadcasts." Fowler has the "measured cadence of an airline pilot informing us that we've just reached our cruising altitude." When Fowler calls tennis matches, that tone "is fitting." But when it comes to games that "augur a spike in viewers' blood pressure, his level of engagement never seems to match it." The contrast between CBS' Brad Nessler's call of Alabama-Auburn to that of Fowler's during Notre Dame-Stanford in the two announcers' enthusiasm "was jarring" (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/26).

A FITTING SEND OFF: In Seattle, Adam Jude noted during a break between the first and second quarters of Washington State-Washington on Saturday, a video tribute to UW football play-by-play man Bob Rondeau "was aired on the Husky Stadium videoboard, recognizing his 37 years as the Voice of the Huskies." Fans in the lower level in nine sections of the north stands then "held up cards that spelled out 'Thanks Bob' after the video tribute ended." The crowd then "gave him a standing ovation." It was Rondeau's "last game broadcasting from Husky Stadium," as he is "retiring after the Huskies' bowl game." Before Saturday's game, UW "gave away 10,000 bobbleheads featuring Rondeau's likeness and a recording of his signature call, 'Touchdown, Washington'" (SEATTLE TIMES, 11/26).

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE: In N.Y., Justin Terranova noted CBS' Verne Lundquist now spends his Saturdays "watching end-to-end action alongside his wife Nancy" after leaving "The SEC on CBS" booth last year. Lundquist said, "It's been fascinating for me to watch the different broadcasts and how each unit approaches the games. ... It has been fun because when you're involved and getting ready for a game, you are worried about that game. I do believe I have a much broader perspective of what's going on in college football" (N.Y. POST, 11/24).

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