NBC’s college football halftime show drew plenty of heat online after Notre Dame’s 41-13 win over Wisconsin on Sunday night.
The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 4 in the preseason Top 25 polls, handled Wisconsin in a strong season-opening performance, and NBC’s halftime crew of John Fanta, Joshua Perry, Chris Simms and Nicole Auerbach spent the break breaking down what had happened through two quarters. That discussion, though, became a target for some viewers who weren’t impressed with the presentation.
Clay Travis was among the loudest critics. “The NBC Sports executive who built this halftime show has never actually watched a college football game.
Or been to one. I can’t believe this is a real desk on national TV,” he wrote.
He also added, “You could change all the backdrops and they could be talking about anything. Women’s tennis, the stock market, the Lindsay Clancy case, why Rachel Maddow is underpaid and the greatest woman of the 21st century.
It works for all of it.”
Another fan was even blunter: “That was the most pathetic halftime lineup I’ve ever seen. Zero talent. This is the best they’ve got?”
But the reaction wasn’t all negative. One fan pushed back in defense of the group, writing, “Nicole Auerbach is an awesome analyst.
She knows college football really well, gives entertaining analysis and doesn’t make anything about herself and John Fanta is entertaining. This is a bad take,”
Others objected to the pile-on itself. “I agree with almost everything you say.
That being said, your negativity sucks. Say 10x positive to negative.
(Maybe only negative sells. Fine, it will mean an unfollow from me.),” one fan wrote.
A couple of viewers singled out members of the desk in a more favorable light. “Former player, Jonny Fanta (the goat), former player don’t know what there is to complain about,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Don’t go knocking Joshua Perry. He’s part of the OSU mafia in football TV coverage,”
The halftime show debate came as Notre Dame rolled to the win, but the online conversation quickly shifted away from the score and toward NBC’s broadcast crew.
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Notre Dame May Be Catching A Huge Break Before Miami Showdown
Miamis defensive picture just got a little murkier heading into its meeting with Notre Dame, with coach Mario Cristobal saying cornerback OJ Frederique will be sidelined for an extended stretch after suffering a significant left shoulder injury against Stanford. Frederique had been a key piece for the Hurricanes, and junior Damari Brown has already stepped in and is expected to keep handling that role over the next few weeks.
For Notre Dame, the timing could hardly be better with the matchup looming. Any absence in the secondary matters when a game against a ranked opponent is on the horizon, and Miami now has to sort through that adjustment while trying to keep its coverage intact. The Fighting Irish still have work to do on their end, but this is the kind of break that can change the feel of a big early-season showdown. [Read more 🡒]
Leonard Moore Made Wisconsin Back Down From Its Pregame Talk
Leonard Moore came into Notre Dames game against Wisconsin with a lot of attention on his side of the field, and the Badgers seemed to take the hint. After pregame chatter from Luke Fickell that Wisconsin should not shy away from Moore, the game plan still leaned the other way, with the Badgers targeting the star defensive back only four times and finding limited success when they did.
Colton Joseph finished 19 of 30 for 217 yards with a touchdown, but Notre Dames defense still came away with the more memorable plays, including an interception returned for a score. Even with the passing numbers on the board, Wisconsins reluctance to test Moore said plenty about how the Irish cornerback is being viewed right now, and it left Fickells earlier challenge hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Answered One Big Question While Another Suddenly Looms
Notre Dame left Lambeau Field with a convincing 41-13 win over Wisconsin, and the biggest takeaway was how the Irish took over after a tighter-than-expected first half. Notre Dame led 13-10 at halftime before rolling through the final two quarters, with CJ Carr throwing two touchdown passes and Aneyas Williams powering the ground game with 90 yards and two scores.
The defense also helped turn the game in Notre Dames favor, as Wisconsins two turnovers opened the door for Irish points. Even so, the broader mood coming out of the victory was not entirely celebratory, because Notre Dame lost two defensive players to injuries during the game, including preseason AP All-America second-team safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye. [Read more 🡒]