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Ohio State at Texas is set to be one of the biggest early-season games in the NCAA Division I FBS calendar, and in the UK it kicks off at 00:30 on Sunday 13 September 2026 with coverage on ABC in the United States and ESPN Unlimited as part of ESPN’s college football package.[2] The opening weekend spotlight will also be heavy on studio analysis, with ESPN College GameDay leading the pregame conversation before the ball is kicked, while Westwood One provides radio coverage for listeners following the action away from the TV screen.[1][10]
The main broadcast team is a familiar and highly respected one: Chris Fowler will handle play-by-play, with Kirk Herbstreit alongside him as analyst, while Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge are listed as reporters and Steve Shaw joins as former official and rules expert.[2] Fowler has been ESPN’s lead college football voice on ABC since 2014 and previously hosted College GameDay for more than two decades, while Herbstreit has been one of the defining figures of ESPN college football coverage since joining College GameDay in 1996 and later becoming the network’s lead analyst.[3][4][11]
College GameDay remains the centrepiece of ESPN’s college football studio offering, fronted by Rece Davis and supported by Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Steve Coughlin, Jess Sims, Jen Lada and Pete Thamel.[1][10] Davis has hosted the show since 2015, Howard has been a long-standing analyst since 2005, and McAfee has quickly become one of its most recognisable newer voices thanks to his energetic, social-media-friendly style.[1][9][10] Saban’s addition brought elite coaching insight after a legendary Alabama career, giving the desk even more depth for a fixture such as Ohio State-Texas.[1][10]
For British and American viewers alike, the key takeaway is simple: this is a premium TV event with the biggest names in ESPN’s college football stable on the mic.[2][5] ESPN’s lead pairing of Fowler and Herbstreit has already been used for the sport’s biggest occasions, including College Football Playoff games and national title broadcasts, which underlines why this game is positioned as a marquee match-up.[2][11] College GameDay has also become a defining part of the weekend build-up, travelling to the biggest games and setting the tone for the sport’s top match-ups.[1]
Westwood One’s presence gives the fixture another layer of reach, with Jon Stashower presenting and Danny Reed on main commentary alongside Derek Rackley in the co-commentary role.[2] That means fans can follow the atmosphere and tempo of the contest even if they are not watching on television, which is especially useful for a late-night UK audience catching the game after midnight.
Ohio State versus Texas has the feel of a classic early test between two heavyweight programmes, and the broadcast line-up matches the occasion.[2] With Fowler and Herbstreit on ABC, Davis anchoring College GameDay, and ESPN’s wider college football team filling out the studio and reporting roles, viewers in the US and UK are getting one of the strongest production teams in the sport.[1][2][10]
Article generated: 13 September 2026, 00:31 GMT