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Name the Top 10 college football announcers of all time

Redscarlet

Redscarlet

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Mine:
#1 Keith Jackson
#2 Lindsey Nelson
#3 Verne Lundquist
#4 Curt Gowdy
#5 Chris Schenkel
#6 Brad Nessler
#7 Sean McDonough
#8 Jim Simpson
#9 Bill Flemming
#10 Chris Fowler
 
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Poster FKA schuele

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He's past his prime now, but Nessler would be higher for me. Always lets the game do the talking and knows the broadcast isn't about him.

Gary Bender was pretty good back in the day, so I would include him in the top 10.

High marks for not including Gus Johnson or Joe Tessitore. Johnson is a screaming gasbag and Tessitore acts like he's been sentenced to community service and that calling a college FB game is a horrible chore.

An underrated play-by-play guy that I like is Wes Durham, who's mostly on ACC Network but sometimes on ESPN.
 
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Baxter48

Baxter48

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Redscarlet said:
Mine:
#1 Keith Jackson
#2 Lindsey Nelson
#3 Verne Lundquist
#4 Curt Gowdy
#5 Chris Schenkel
#6 Brad Nessler
#7 Sean McDonough
#8 Jim Simpson
#9 Bill Flemming
#10 Chris Fowler
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Pat summeral , Al Michael’s. I go 1 Keith 2 summerall 3 Lindsey 4 curt 5 Al 6 Chris schenkel 7 Brad nessler 8 Verne 9 bill flemming 10 Jim Simpson. Fowler is good but he was on ESPN and I give the others higher because they were on major networks where back in the days way more people heard them compared to cable espn
 
BadgerPete

BadgerPete

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Dec 22, 2013
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Redscarlet said:
Mine:
#1 Keith Jackson
#2 Lindsey Nelson
#3 Verne Lundquist
#4 Curt Gowdy
#5 Chris Schenkel
#6 Brad Nessler
#7 Sean McDonough
#8 Jim Simpson
#9 Bill Flemming
#10 Chris Fowler
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Lindey Nelson, Bill Flemming and Keith Jackson; I absolutely agree.

I have to throw the late/great football radio broadcaster Bob Ufer from Michigan in there.
 
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Bigred2467

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Baxter48 said:
Pat summeral , Al Michael’s. I go 1 Keith 2 summerall 3 Lindsey 4 curt 5 Al 6 Chris schenkel 7 Brad nessler 8 Verne 9 bill flemming 10 Jim Simpson. Fowler is good but he was on ESPN and I give the others higher because they were on major networks where back in the days way more people heard them compared to cable espn
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Did you read the title of this thread?
 
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bigboxes

bigboxes

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BadgerPete said:
Lindey Nelson, Bill Flemming and Keith Jackson; I absolutely agree.

I have to throw the late/great football radio broadcaster Bob Ufer from Michigan in there.
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I LOVED Bob Ufer. I remember listening to him call a Anthony Carter touchdown on the radio. Great announcer!
 
BetterRed1

BetterRed1

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Yeah, Mike Patrick was among my favorite too. Sad that he recently passed. He did the Thursday night espn games. Really liked him. Keith Jackson is a no brainer as the top. Don Criqui would be among my tops too, as I think of him as the Orange Bowl caller. But he did a lot of things besides college football. I also liked Brent Musburger. Say what you will, but he was good.
 
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mel mains

mel mains

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Scoop123 said:
So underrated and unknown and yet one of my top 3.

Mike Patrick… ESPN. A master of his craft.

RIP Mike

View attachment 1203366
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He and Gottfried were excellent on Thursday nights.

Buttonholed him one CWS night in Paulis 35 years ago or so and despite my asking he refused to admit that Joe Theismann was, in fact, an insufferable ***. Always respected him for that.
 
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Redscarlet

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,783
10,725
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Baxter48 said:
Pat summeral , Al Michael’s. I go 1 Keith 2 summerall 3 Lindsey 4 curt 5 Al 6 Chris schenkel 7 Brad nessler 8 Verne 9 bill flemming 10 Jim Simpson. Fowler is good but he was on ESPN and I give the others higher because they were on major networks where back in the days way more people heard them compared to cable espn
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Al Michael didn’t do college games chief.
 
Redscarlet

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,783
10,725
113
BetterRed1 said:
Yeah, Mike Patrick was among my favorite too. Sad that he recently passed. He did the Thursday night espn games. Really liked him. Keith Jackson is a no brainer as the top. Don Criqui would be among my tops too, as I think of him as the Orange Bowl caller. But he did a lot of things besides college football. I also liked Brent Musburger. Say what you will, but he was good.
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Brent doesn’t make my top 10 by far, despite his call of the 97 Missouri game and Catholics versus the Convicts.
 
bug

bug

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Redscarlet said:
Mine:
#1 Keith Jackson
#2 Lindsey Nelson
#3 Verne Lundquist
#4 Curt Gowdy
#5 Chris Schenkel
#6 Brad Nessler
#7 Sean McDonough
#8 Jim Simpson
#9 Bill Flemming
#10 Chris Fowler
Click to expand...
Chris Schenkel... it was like my 10th grade Algebra teacher talking about football.
Don Criqui was good... Ron Franklin could be on the list... I know you're supposed to hate Musberger but come on what's better than 'you're looking live at ***'
 
Baxter48

Baxter48

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bug said:
Chris Schenkel... it was like my 10th grade Algebra teacher talking about football.
Don Criqui was good... Ron Franklin could be on the list... I know you're supposed to hate Musberger but come on what's better than 'you're looking live at ***'
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Not a fan of criqui he was caught on a hot mic hoping Nebraska lost in the 84 orange bowl during a tv timeout he thought his mic was off, nbc was able to cut it out but people with satellite dishes were able to hear it.
 
Redscarlet

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
32,783
10,725
113
Baxter48 said:
I think he did a cotton bowl game Nebraska played in
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That might have been the Cotton bowl game with Auburn I believe.

But calling a single game which was bowl game doesn’t meet the criteria of best college football TV announcers.
 
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Poster FKA schuele

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Al Michaels did some regular season college football early in his career. Came to Lincoln once for a KU-Nebraska game and a friend of mine was assigned to assist him by the sports information office. I never met Michaels, but my friend said he was a nice guy.

He’s way better known for sports other than college FB, though.
 
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TheRealPeliniTheCrutch

TheRealPeliniTheCrutch

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bug said:
Chris Schenkel... it was like my 10th grade Algebra teacher talking about football.
Don Criqui was good... Ron Franklin could be on the list... I know you're supposed to hate Musberger but come on what's better than 'you're looking live at ***'
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Good call on Franklin.
 
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Scoop123

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TheRealPeliniTheCrutch said:
Good call on Franklin.
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I agree. Franklin and Patrick are hidden jewels. They don't have the name recognition like so many of the others on the Networks... but if DONU was to make a playoff game and we got to pick our dream announcers those 2 are the top of my list with Keith and Criqui.
 
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Scoop123

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Okay, my personal favorites list (Keith is definitely the GOAT and overall #1 but not necessarily my top personal fav)

1. Don Criqui
2. Mike Patrick
3. Ron Franklin
4. Keith Jackson
5. Brad Nessler
6. Chris Shenkel
7. Gus Johnson (controversial - people love or hate him, I know)


Most overrated? Chris Fowler. I think he tries to hard and at times is yelling instead of the great ones who almost "sing" the big moments they are so smooth. Besides, he's a Buff so screw him.
 
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Hugo_Stiglitz7

Hugo_Stiglitz7

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1. Keith Jackson
2. Ron Franklin
3. Brent Musberger
4. Verne Lundquist
5. Brad Nessler
6. Don Criqui
7. Sean McDonough
8. Gus Johnson when he's under control or not blowing his load over the world famous
9. Chris Fowler
10. Joe Tessitore

I'd be remiss for originally not including Mike Patrick (RIP). Top 5 for sure.
 
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