Fans, media rip NBC for Jac Collinsworth, Jason Garrett broadcast pairing in Notre Dame vs. USC game
College football fans are furious with NBC for its choice of broadcast booth in Notre Dame’s Week 7 contest against USC.
Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett are on the call for this game. That duo is in the booth for most Notre Dame home contests, although that wasn’t the case when the Fighting Irish faced Ohio State earlier this season. Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge were on the call for that game while Collinsworth and Garrett called Maryland-Michigan State.
Collinsworth, the son of former NFL wide receiver and current NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, is in his second season as the primary play-by-play man for Notre Dame games on NBC.
Garrett is also in his second season calling Notre Dame games for NBC. He joined the network in 2022 after a lengthy career as coach in the NFL that included a stint with the Dallas Cowboys.
NBC’s broadcast has also received criticism for its production in other areas, too. Fans have noted confusion with the imaginary line-of-scrimmage that NBC deploys on its broadcasts. While most networks use a neutral color to identify the line of scrimmage, NBC has opted to make the line match the primary color of the team who has possession.
As for the broadcast booth itself, fans were critical of the lack of energy from Collinsworth and Garrett for a game of this magnitude.
Here’s some of the reaction from fans and media to NBC’s broadcast on Saturday night of Notre Dame vs. USC:
You know that feeling of falling asleep in a vehicle on the highway late at night? The NBC Notre Dame broadcast is delivering it
— Jason Kirk (jasonkirk.fyi on bluesky) (@JasonKirk_fyi) October 15, 2023
NBC's broadcast of USC-Notre Dame is going over like a lead balloon: pic.twitter.com/W0wG1cOX8k
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 14, 2023
Going from Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit in the Oregon Washington game to Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett in this USC ND tilt is like going from a Rolls Royce to a Honda Civic
This is an insult to Tuesday night MAC games these guys BLOW
— Joe O’Leary (@TheHQNerd) October 15, 2023
Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett have to be the worst booth in the history of college football.
— Coffee & Football (@CoffeeFootball1) October 14, 2023
Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett calling a football game pic.twitter.com/u9xdVOI9PV
— Cole Adams (@coleadamss) October 14, 2023
I don’t generally get too mad over nepo hires but Jac Collinsworth calling play by play on this Notre Dame game is really amateur hour stuff that makes NBC look terrible
— Matt Carey (@RealMattCarey) October 15, 2023
Jac Collinsworth for USC-Notre Dame, because apparently we haven’t suffered enough as a society
— Matt Russell 🇨🇦 (@mrussauthentic) October 14, 2023
Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett might be the worst duo in broadcasting. Neither is good and neither has any energy.
— Christopher Cox (@ChrisWCox17) October 14, 2023
Ughhhhhh. Top 25 matchup, historic programs, primetime game and being forced to listen to Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett.
Yikes.
— TheBrandonRush™ (@BrandonRush) October 14, 2023
I’ve never heard a more naturally emotionless broadcast pair than Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) October 15, 2023
Jac Collinsworth is putting me to sleep. He is somewhat tolerable in a few 60sec segments throughout a pregame show. But that should be his limit. He is a painful in the booth.
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) October 14, 2023
Wow wow wow this NBC broadcast feels/sounds like a high scohool game.
Get Jac Collinsworth out of the booth, man. Kid's not ready.
— Thoughts of Tom Izzo (@SpartanFan4Evr) October 14, 2023
If Jac Collinsworth is part of the package getting Notre Dame into the B1G. pic.twitter.com/kCg7bQa2gz
— Trent McGee (@stmcgee) October 15, 2023
is Jac Collinsworth on PBP?? This is a sonic attack
— Treb (@treblaw) October 15, 2023
Me listening to Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett pic.twitter.com/gARTYtGbaH
— Blake Garman (@FrostedBlakes34) October 15, 2023
Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett being the announcers for Notre Dame vs USC makes this game feel unserious 😂 😂
— Cocky Kyle Shanahan (@CoachKShanahan) October 14, 2023
Can’t believe NBC trots out Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett for one of the most watched games of the year.
— Warren Schorr (@wschorr) October 14, 2023