As it's "never too early" for "What time will this U-M game kickoff?" ....
NBC today announced that in Week 1, they will be broadcasting WVU @ PSU at 7:30 PM ET. This will be the first game of the new NBC/B1G TV contract.
We'll find out in the next few weeks, but my guess would be that ECU @ U-M will be a Noon kick:
- Given the new partnership with NBC, the B1G will probably want their big TV draws to stay away from NBC's initial game of the contract (don't cannibalize ratings).
- CBS will broadcast a Week 1 game at 3:30. OSU @ Indiana is a candidate here.
- That would leave ECU @ U-M as a top candidate for Noon on FOX.
Anyway ...... I'm bored, so that's my "way-too-early" TV speculation post.
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I dozed off for a bit and then saw this post. For a second, I thought I had slept through the summer.
Can’t wait for the “I’m traveling, any good bars to watch the game” or “I have a wedding, any idea what time the game will be, I’ve looked everywhere” threads
"I'll be in Katmandu, does anyone know of a bar where some American ex-pats will be gathering? The locals won't know the words to The Victors. Somewhere that also has a good wi-fi signal so I can check my stock portfolio. Mmm kay, thanks!"
"How 'bout you Katmandon't go!"
-The Board in the future
I’m willing to provide that the information I have available through multiple channels of communications with my sources is that The Game will be played at noon on Fox
I'm bored too. I just watched the 1985 game against South Carolina. Total Domination
I love watching those '85 games and that defense destroying people.
But, but South Carolina had their swarmin' fire ant defense....
I remember watching that game in a bar with my season tickets buddies.
I don't think that is how it works, and the Big Ten and FOX have not made public how the selection order for games are going to operate. In the past, FOX and ESPN would draft which weeks they had the first pick when they shared 1st tier rights. I am not sure how the selection order will shake out with three networks sharing the 1st tier rights. Will there be a draft for the second choice as well? How many weeks does each network get for 1st choice? 2nd choice? Still a lot of details unknown. And in the first year, CBS has a reduced share of 7 Big Ten games in 2023 due to the final year of their SEC contract.
The Matt Sarzyniak guy who has followed the CFB TV scene for 15 years and has proven he has sources in the field --- he has said that with the new contracts, FOX gets to draft the first 3 weeks where they have the 1st choice. He doesn't seem
Looking at the B1G schedule, it seems clear to me what 3 weeks FOX would want:
- There are no big OOC games this year, nothing analogous to last year's ND @ OSU.
- FOX will pick Week 13 for OSU @ U-M.
- Week 8 has both U-M @ MSU and PSU @ OSU. Hard to imagine FOX wouldn't pick this week
- Week 11 has U-M @ PSU and MSU @ OSU.
- There are a few decent East vs West games --- Purdue plays both OSU and U-M. Nothing against Purdue, but aren't the greatest TV draw. There's also OSU @ Wisconsin (that game in Week 9). The rest of the Week 9 schedule is meh, so I think FOX would prefer Week 11: MSU @ OSU provides another option if U-M's 2023 season happens to go sideways.
Take all that for what you want to. But if Matt S is correct and FOX has 1st pick Weeks 8, 11 and 13, that would make:
- U-M @ PSU a likely Noon game, and
- U-M @ MSU a very possible night NBC game (presuming FOX takes PSU/OSU and CBS has Tennessee @ Alabama at 3:30 that week).
All I care is shitty ESPN/ABC is out.
With that, I really don't care except the two games that will be the most impactful. The TV deal has not been made public but If I were a betting man I would guess the OSU game will be @ noon on Fox & the PSU game @ 8pm on NBC. I don't expect many Michigan games on CBS until 2024 after their SEC deal expires.
When ABC brings back Keith Jackson, it will be a lot better.
AI could make this happen
Maybe not in my lifetime, but I could seriously see this happening.
Are you in your 90s? Could probably happen now if anyone was motivated enough to drop a few tens of millions on it but it's probably not that valuable, so the cost-benefit isn't yet to the benefit side.
Wouldn't be that difficult with some resources. The tech absolutely exists. Would just need to train an algorithm with enough game data.
Once I got ChatGPT past its inherent problem — its training set ended in September, 2021, so I had to fill it in on some details — I actually got a half-decent play-by-play for a 17-3 victory.
I then told it to Keith Jackson it up a bit more, and I got this:
Well, Whoa, Nelly, what a game we've had here in Ann Arbor! The Wolverines have taken down the Buckeyes for the third straight year, and they did it in convincing fashion.
McCarthy was simply outstanding at quarterback for Michigan, making all the right reads and throwing the ball with pinpoint accuracy. And Corum, well, he had a Heisman moment for the ages with that incredible touchdown run in the second quarter. What a player he is!
And you can't forget about that Michigan defense, folks. They were all over McCord and the Buckeye offense, sacking the quarterback multiple times and forcing turnovers left and right. That's what we call playing some defense in the Big Ten!
The crowd here at the Big House was electric all day long, cheering on their Wolverines every step of the way. And now, they're rushing the field to celebrate this huge victory over their bitter rivals from Columbus. It's a scene that never gets old, folks.
So, congratulations to Michigan on a job well done today. They've proven once again that they're a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten, and they're heading into the postseason with all the momentum in the world. Who knows, maybe we'll see these Wolverines in the national championship game come January!
But for now, let's just savor this victory and bask in the glory of college football at its finest. It's been an honor to call this game for all of you, and I can't wait to see what's in store for these two teams as the season rolls on. Until next time, folks, it's been a pleasure. Good night, and Go Blue!
Sorry. But this is terrible. It can't be Keith Jackson without a single reference to the Big Uglies, especially when they're about to win their third consecutive Joe Moore Award.
LOL, fair. Maybe that will be the focus of ChatGPT 5. 😁
Will be another season of Big Noon Michigan week after week. We’ll take it!
I’m planning my tailgate and expecting a noon kickoff. Frankly, 3:30 would be ideal - but, I don’t expect it…
Ugh, I'm just annoyed that the season doesn't really start until Sept 30. What a joke the first four games are.
Agreed. I’m not planning to go to games 2 and 3 this year,
Selfishly hoping for home games to all be 12:00. I’m getting old and the late night travel is not ideal. Although late games can be a lot of fun.