There are eight possible broadcast windows for the VT@UVA game to air on November 28. Either at noon or 3:30 on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU.
Looking at the overall schedule, there are two other games with the same flexible timeslot -- Georgia at GT and UNC at NC State.
Here are the other games that can fill in those slots:
-Ohio State at Michigan, noon, ABC or ESPN
-Clemson at SC, noon, ESPN or ESPN2
-Northwestern vs. Illinois, 3:30, ESPN2 or ESPNU
-Penn State at Michigan State, 3:30, ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2 (likely a reverse mirror)
That's only seven games.
There are three games that don't have a time or network assigned at all:
-Notre Dame at Stanford
-Oklahoma at Oklahoma State ("Bedlam")
-UCLA at USC.
There is no game assigned to Fox or ABC in primetime, so I'm betting that's where two of those games are going. The third is going to ABC or ESPN (maybe a reverse mirror) at 3:30.
Now, depending on how next week plays out, some of those games could be winner take all games leading into conference championships:
-Bedlam (if Oklahoma wins on 11/21)
-UCLA at USC (if both teams have the same outcome on 11/21)
-Ohio State at Michigan (if both win on 11/21)
-PSU at MSU (if both win on 11/21)
Even if Bedlam doesn't set up to be a winner take all, there's still a good chance that it'll have massive implications for the Big 12. I'm thinking it's going to ABC primetime.
Notre Dame at Stanford isn't a conference game, but it could be two teams trying to get into the CFP. Notre Dame has only had 5 regular season games since 2011 on cable channels. I'm thinking this game and UCLA/USC will be taking Fox primetime and ABC 3:30.
It's probably a safe bet to say Ohio State/Michigan is getting the ABC slot. The only time in the last decade that it wasn't at noon (or 1 PM) on ABC was 2006, when they were ranked #1 and #2.
I'm feeling like the Northwestern/Illinois game (played at Soldier Field) is only given the ESPN2 option in the event that they don't do a reverse mirror.
Of the three "flex" games, it looks like two will be nooners, and the third will be 3:30. One of them is guaranteed to be noon on ESPNU. Record wise, the most attractive team in that group of games is UNC. I'm guessing UNC/NC State will get either ESPN or ESPN2, whichever one doesn't get Clemson/SC. Unless they want to bump UNC/NC State to 3:30.
I'm trying to figure out which of those "flex" games has the most appeal:
-UNC at NC State -- most likely has the ACC Coastal champ vs. a middle of the road Atlantic team, both bowl eligible
-Georgia at GT -- #2 team in SEC East vs. the worst team in the ACC Coastal that's not going bowling
-VT at UVA -- worst case scenario, we're fighting for a bowl, plus our coach is retiring, and we've got an 11 year win streak going. UVA has nothing.
I think our game is slightly more appealing than Georgia/GT. I think they get the noon game on the U.
Of course, if I'm right about those, then that means we get a 3:30 slot.
Comments
So you're telling me there's a chance?
I'd bet that if VT wins then they get the 3:30 PM.
Memphis plays SMU at noon that Saturday FYI
Warning: I'm being that guy-
I'm either missing an inside joke or did we leave the SI in when correcting from Analysis to Analyzing? Either way, it's a tragesty :(
I'd rather have the late game, but I'll be watching from home 2 states away. It would be cool to see some of the game to be played at night!
That's what I get for posting after midnight.
Ironically, if we beat UNC, that might push us into the noon slot, since the UNC-NCState game would have Coastal title implications, assuming Pitt beats Louisville. I also wouldn't be so sure that UGA-GT wouldn't be attractive to a network. No matter the implications, UGA fans really, really, really like beating Georgia Tech, and they have a large enough fanbase to make a game like that worthwhile. Wouldn't surprise me to see them at the 3:30 slot.
I guess bottom line, it's all a tossup.
FWIW I'm pretty sure the UVA-VT game was no earlier than 3:30 the last two years....
2014 - 8 PM on Black Friday
2013 - 3:30 on ESPNU
2012 - noon on ESPNU
2011 - 3:30 on ABC (38-0, bro)
2010 - noon on ACC Network (before they started that stupid pregame show)
Last year, #16 GT at #9 Georgia was noon on the SEC Network.
This year, there's nothing on the line except pride for Georgia. GT is already bowl ineligible, Georgia is bowl eligible. Neither team is playing for a conference title.
These games cannot be at noon EST since they are all played in different time zones. OK/OSU could potentially be (that'd be a 11am game for them) but that matchup is too big with major playoff implications for an 11am gametime.
You're primetime assumption for 2 of these games is accurate.
That's why I pegged the third one for 3:30 on ABC or ESPN.
There are two games guaranteed at noon, and two games guaranteed at 3:30. There are 3 "flex" games to fill the other four slots, and then there are the 3 TBA games that have no time or network announced at all to fill the last 3:30 slot and two primetime slots.
good analysis - by your numbers/review, there seems to be a favorable chance that we end up with the 3:30 timeslot (which I am more than okay with)
Here's my prediction.
Noon:
-ABC: Ohio State at Michigan
-ESPN: Clemson at South Carolina
-ESPN2: UNC at NC State
-ESPNU: Georgia at GT
3:30:
-ABC: Notre Dame at Stanford
-ESPN: Penn State at Michigan State
-ESPN2: VT at UVA
-ESPNU: Northwestern vs. Illinois
Primetime:
-Fox: UCLA at USC
-ABC: Bedlam
More than likely, we're on ESPN2 or ESPNU. Maybe we get the noon ESPN slot, since apparently we're good ratings there. Our only chance at an ABC slot is if they do a reverse mirror at 3:30. (I think they're more likely to make the other game in the mirror a Big Ten game, though.)
The PAC 12 has already been eliminated from the playoffs regardless of the rest of their games. Notre Dame has probably been eliminated as they lost to the only good team they played. The Big 12 is probably going to finish eliminating themselves over the next two weeks unless the Pokes run the table.
I don't think both ND and a Big 12 team gets left out, otherwise there'd have to be 2 teams from a remaining conference get in.. I don't see that happening, especially if ND wins out
If ND wins out, they might be in despite having no quality wins. Stanford losing again hurt ND badly for their strength of schedule.
If the Big 12 goes undefeated or Oklahoma rolls everybody left on their schedule they probably get in. But I can see each of those teams dropping at least one more.
Sadly even if Houston is 13-0, I am not sure they make it into the playoffs even though they will have more quality wins than ND.
I would be shocked if the Big12 got left out after they were the P5 conference left out last year and their top two teams dominated their bowl games, plus they had nearly 3 teams in the top 10 all year. Pac12 is out this year
Bold Prediction. UNC Beats Clemson in Charlotte and in so doing effectively eliminates any ACC contender from the Playoff. ND Loses a game and each of the non-ACC P5 programs get a team in.
Maybe that's not actually so bold...
Yaaaawn!!! Oh, I am sorry, didn't I cover my mouth?
Gah! I really didn't anticipate Georgia/GT outdrawing us. We're on at noon on ESPNU.
Actual schedule (asterisks indicate correct predictions on my part):
Noon:
-ABC: Ohio State at Michigan*
-ESPN: Clemson at South Carolina*
-ESPN2: Georgia at GT
-ESPNU: VT at UVA
3:30:
-ABC: UNC at NC State (reverse mirror with ESPN2)
-ESPN: Penn State at Michigan State*
-ESPN2: UCLA at USC (reverse mirror with ABC)
-ESPNU: Northwestern vs. Illinois*
Primetime:
-Fox: Notre Dame at Stanford
-ABC: Bedlam*
I definitely plan on switching to the Clemson and GT games during commercials. I love the typical ACC vs SEC match-ups.
Crap. Unless I find. Bar in Asheville, NC with the game, I will not be ab,e to watch CFB's last game.
I don't have an ESPNU subscription.
That sucks.
Hit up one of the many Beer Gardens. There is a big one on their main strip that should have the game for you. They have many, many TVs.
I want to say the one I hit up last year while out there was called the Bier Garden.
A lot of the breweries do not have enough games on the TV to play us but, I suspect the Bier Garden has enough TVs so I can get one on VT. That one is probably the best bet. They have a subscription to just about everything.
Predictable