CBS lead broadcast to do Iowa-Penn State instead of Alabama-Ole Miss

When fans tune in to Alabama vs. Ole Miss at the familiar 3:30 p.m. ET time slot on CBS on Saturday, they won’t hear Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson on the call. Instead, Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker and Jason McCourty will be in the booth while Nessler and Danielson head to Penn State vs. Iowa.

The matchup between Alabama and Ole Miss was announced as the 3:30 p.m. game earlier this month as Nick Saban takes on former assistant Lane Kiffin in the SEC opener. But some fans were surprised to learn CBS’ lead team — Nessler, Danielson and Jenny Dell — would be in Happy Valley instead of Tuscaloosa.

However, CBS is now part of the Big Ten media rights deal. The network, along with FOX and NBC, will exclusively air Big Ten football games next season once the agreement with the SEC expires. The SEC will move its games to ABC and ESPN starting with the 2024 season.

Still, the decision to put the No. 1 broadcast crew on Iowa vs. Penn State caught fans off guard. As CBS Executive Vice President of Programming Dan Weinberg told On3, though, it’s part of an agreement with the Big Ten to work in some primetime games as part of the transition from SEC-exclusive to Big Ten-exclusive coverage.

“We worked with the league for a prime time exposure,” Weinberg said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “That one, that’s the White Out game — Iowa and Penn State. That’ll be Sept. 23. Great atmosphere, one of the signature games of the year in terms of the scene. And obviously two very, very good teams this year, so it’ll be an impactful game, as well. We’re excited about that.”

What Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell had to say about calling a ‘White Out’ game for the first time

During a conversation with reporters at Big Ten Media Days, Danielson said he didn’t recall ever attending a White Out game. When he learned how special the game is, he pointed out it’ll be “great” given the stakes.

But that game isn’t the only “big” matchup for Penn State this year, he said.

“Honest to God, that’s what I’ve been taught. It’s the next game, no matter what happened,” Danielson said. “But for Penn State, all of their games are big. It’s going to be a disappointing season if they don’t contend for the Big Ten Championship and get in the playoffs. That’s my opinion.”

As for Dell, who will be patrolling the sidelines as fans wave their poms in sync, it’ll be her first time at Beaver Stadium for the White out. However, she’s seen it on TV, which adds to her excitement to have the best — and, probably, loudest — seat in the house.

“It’s going to be one of the best atmospheres in college football,” Dell said. “It always is. … We’re excited to go into that type of environment and experience that. I know for me, personally, it’ll be my first time at a White Out game. Just watching it on TV all these years, it’s going to be pretty special to be a part of it.”

Both Alabama vs. Ole Miss and Iowa vs. Penn State are loaded with storylines

The Alabama vs. Ole Miss game is getting plenty of attention considering Saban’s unique relationship with Kiffin. Of course, Kiffin worked for Saban from 2014-16 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before leaving to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic.

Things got even more interesting this week when Kiffin intimated a possible play-calling change for Alabama on defense. Kevin Steele returned as defensive coordinator, but Kiffin indicated Travaris Robinson might be calling plays. Saban shot that down this week, reaffirming Steele was calling the plays. However, he also noted Alabama has done some different things to try and clamp down on opposing offenses.

As for Penn State vs. Iowa, the Hawkeyes offense is one of the biggest conversation starters in the country. Over the offseason, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz received an amended contract that featured an interesting clause. If Iowa averages 25 points per game, he’ll receive a bonus. To put that in perspective, Iowa averaged 17.7 points per contest on offense last year.

The Nittany Lions are also looking to play spoiler in the Big Ten this year. With Drew Allar now at quarterback and a loaded backfield with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in tow, they’re trying to unseat Michigan and Ohio State as one of the top teams in the Big Ten East. The defense is also filled with talent — from Chop Robinson to Kalen King and others who can wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

The Penn State vs. Iowa game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS. It will immediately follow Alabama vs. Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m. ET.