Monday afternoon, the world found out what time Penn State and USC would be playing Oct. 12 as well as what channel the game would be on.
The answer to the first question is 3:30 eastern time, 12:30 pacific.
The second answer is CBS.
So who will be the broadcast team? The answer, as one might expect for a game between two of America’s biggest programs that both could well be in the Top 10 by next week, is “The A-Team.”
Brad Nessler will be the play-by-play man, Gary Danielson will be on color and Jenny Dell will be the sideline reporter. This crew has been on the call for two Penn State games over the past two seasons. Back when CBS still had a contract with the SEC, Nessler, Danielson and Dell were in Auburn for what turned into a 41-12 Penn State win.
Last season, which was the first of which CBS started carrying Big Ten games, the three were in Happy Valley for Penn State’s 31-0 White Out demolition of Iowa.
It will also be the first chance Nessler has to see Penn State QB Drew Allar in person since Andy Kotelnicki became Penn State’s offensive coordinator last winter.
Nessler remembers thinking Allar should have been given more of a chance to unleash his arm.
“We did one Penn State game last year,” Nessler told Nittany Sports Now at Big Ten Media Days in July, “and I watched some of their other ones, and I’m sitting there and you know we met with Drew and he’s this big strapping guy and he’s got this gun for an arm, and their throwing like swing passes about five yards out in the flat, and I’m thinking ‘throw the damn ball down the field,’ you know,” Nessler said. “From that standpoint, if Drew starts throwing the ball down the field, or the offense evolves and lets him do what his arm is capable of doing, I think they could be sensational on offense … I think he’s capable of more than last year.”
Through four games, Allar has completed 72.6% of his passes, throwing for eight touchdowns, one interception and 864 yards. His QBR of 87.5 ranks sixth.
On the other side, USC QB Miller Moss (eight touchdowns, two INT’s, 65.4% completion) has been quality as well. So Nessler and everybody else could see a show from both quarterbacks.
