College Football Week #16: ABC, CBS and Fox air 3 title games that will shape playoff matchups

So, let’s see what sticks this week. There are already seven cancellations as of this writing.

All eyes will be on the Big Ten title game on Fox, the ACC showdown Saturday afternoon on ABC and the SEC title game on CBS Saturday night. Lead teams get the assignments for their respective networks.

Popular Alabama voice Eli Gold (left) turned 67 this week. A Brooklyn boy made it big in the heart of the South. It used to be the other way around. Two southerners Mel Allen and Red Barber ruled the roost in New York covering the Yankees and Dodgers respectively.

From Sports Media Watch: Saturday’s Army-Navy Game averaged a Nielsen-estimated 4.91 million viewers on CBS, down 36% from last year (7.72M) and the smallest audience for the game since at least 2008. Despite the sharp drop and multi-year low, Army-Navy delivered the largest college football audience of the weekend.

ESPN’s top two game analysts: Todd Blackledge is concise and Kirk Herbstreit pontificates.

Other than Brent Musburger, find me a play-by-play voice who’s as transparent and open as Tim Brando. He continues to express his disappointment in the college football playoff selection system, calling it exclusionary. He’s not alone. Tim says it’s a Power 5 Invitational. Brando (left) has covered college ball for some 40 years on ESPN, CBS and Fox. Tim is among the best play-by-players. He and Spencer Tillman call the Mountain West Championship on Fox this weekend.

(This listing is unofficial and is subject to change.)

Week 16

Friday, Dec. 18

Nebraska at Rutgers | 4 p.m. | Big Ten Network,  Brandon Gaudin, Matt Millen,

UAB at Marshall (CUSA Championship) | 7 p.m. | CBSSN, Rich Waltz, Aaron Taylor,

Buffalo vs. Ball State (MAC Championship) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman,

Oregon at No. 13 USC (Pac-12 Championship  | 8 p.m. | FOX, Joe Davis, Mark Helfrich 

Saturday, Dec. 19

No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Northwestern (Big Ten Championship)  | 12 p.m. | FOX, Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt,

No. 5 Texas A&M at Tennessee | 12 p.m. | ESPN, Bob Wischusen, Dusty Dvoracek,

No. 6 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Oklahoma (Big 12 Championship) | 12 p.m. | ABC, Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge

Florida State at Wake Forest | 12 p.m. | ACC Network, Chris Cotter, Roddy Jones,

Washington State at Utah | 1:30 p.m. | FS1,  Eric Collins, Ben Leber 

Air Force at Army | 3 p.m. | CBSSN,  Dave Ryan, Ross Tucker

No. 19 Louisiana at No. 12 Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt Championship) | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN, Anish Shroff, Tom Luginbill,

Ole Miss at LSU | 3:30 p.m. | SEC Network, Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb

Missouri at Mississippi State | 3:30 p.m. | SEC Network (Alternate), Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer,

No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Clemson (ACC Championship Game) | 4 p.m. | ABC, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit

Minnesota at Wisconsin | 4 p.m. | Big Ten Network, Mark Followill, Matt Millen,

No. 24 San Jose State vs. Boise State (Mountain West Championship) | 4:15 p.m. | FOX, Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman 

Illinois at Penn State | 5:30 p.m. | FS1, Cory Provous, Robert Smith 

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 7 Florida (SEC Championship Game) | 8 p.m. | CBS,  Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson

No. 23 Tulsa at No. 9 Cincinnati (AAC Championship Game) | 8 p.m. | ABC, Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy

Stanford at UCLA | 8 p.m. | ESPN2, Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison

Arizona State at Oregon State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN, Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore

Arizona at California CANCELLED

Oregon at No. 25 Colorado CANCELLED (Oregon in Pac 12 title game)

Vanderbilt at No. 8 Georgia CANCELLED

Michigan at No. 16 Iowa  CANCELLED

SMU vs. UTSA (Frisco Bowl)  CANCELLED

UL Monroe at Troy  CANCELLED

Purdue at No. 11 Indiana CANCELLED

Michigan State at Maryland |CANCELLED