Watch Ohio State vs USC: Matt Money Smith and Petros Papadakis on Compass Media, Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge on Peacock

The 2026 NCAA Division I College Football System competition lands on Friday, 31 October 2026, with Ohio State taking on USC. The match goes live at 23:30 UK time, which puts it in prime evening window for American viewers across both home and international platforms.

Two separate broadcasts will call the game. On the American side, the official network runs through Compass Media with Tim Cates presenting and Matt Money Smith as main commentator, joined by Petros Papadakis as co-commentator. The international feed is supplied by NBC through the Peacock USA platform, with Noah Eagle as main commentator, Todd Blackledge as co-commentator and Kathryn Tappen reporting.

The Compass Media broadcast

Compress Media, the service that hosts the official NCAA competition feed, pairs its talent with the same veteran sports-radio personalities who have built long careers covering these exact matchups. Tim Cates is front and centre as presenter, a role he has held across recent seasons. He was recently seen on the AM 570 LA Sports platform alongside Petros, discussing the NFL program ahead of a Dodgers-Braves conversation.

The main commentator is Matt Money Smith, who has been a fixture in college football radio since at least 2007, when he teamed up with Petros Papadakis to help build the college football podcast network. His partnership with Petros has made the pair staples of the competition circuit, and they call games together with a familiarity built from years of shared coverage.

Petros Papadakis rounds out the Compass Media team as co-commentator. He has served as a college football analyst for Fox Sports since 2004, when he first stepped in as a game analyst, and he is widely recognised among viewers as one of the most reliable voices calling these matchups. His presence on both the American and international feeds reflects how thoroughly he has become part of the competition broadcasting family.

The Peacock USA broadcast

For viewers who prefer the NBC-owned feed, Peacock USA carries the match with a different pairing of analysts. Noah Eagle leads as main commentator, drawing on a career that has spanned college basketball coverage and later college football coverage across multiple networks. He and Todd Blackledge were announced as the pair to call Week 1 of the NFL game, and they have since been called to a number of matches.

Todd Blackledge rounds out the Peacock team as co-commentator. He has called the majority of USC's games this season and was recently on the Victory Podcast discussing Ohio State, USC and what comes next for the network's analysts. His regular partnership with Noah Eagle makes him a natural fit for calling this particular matchup.

Kathryn Tappen serves as the reporter on the Peacock feed, bringing the field details and play-by-play to viewers watching through NBC's international platform.

Where to watch

If you want the official competition feed, head to Compass Media for the Ohio State vs USC call featuring Tim Cates, Matt Money Smith and Petros Papadakis. For the NBC feed, Peacock USA carries Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen. Either way, the match opens at 23:30 UK time on Friday, 31 October 2026, so tune in before the first game begins.

For background on the talent calling this game, the Fox Sports profile of Petros Papadakis covers his career as a college football analyst from his first appearance as a game analyst in 2004.

Article generated: 31 October 2026, 23:45 GMT