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The finale of the 2017-18 college football season is upon us, as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs compete in Atlanta for the College Football Playoff National Championship, tonight at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN (with options available via streaming on WatchESPN).
While this isn’t another rematch of the last two title games, which featured Clemson and Alabama, I don’t know that it is much of an improvement for the Tide to be facing Georgia instead. The last two tilts between the Tigers and Tide were competitive classics. The fact that this year’s championship features two teams from the same conference - and from the conference which has the reputation for being the most vocally supportive of itself, nonetheless - has surely dampened the appeal of the game for some factions of football fans.
This year again ESPN is going the “MegaCast” route, having a multitude of viewing alternatives available for the game. Below, you’ll find a chart detailing all of this year’s options. The traditional primary telecast will air on ESPN. Other options are also available online via WatchESPN.
CFP National Championship Viewing Options - Monday, January 8, 2018
| MegaCast Option | What does this mean? | TV | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|
| MegaCast Option | What does this mean? | TV | Featuring |
| Traditional Telecast | The main "traditional" broadcast and call of the game | ESPN | Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstret, Maria Taylor |
| Homers Telecast | Former Alabama and Georgia players, an emphasis on "fan" viewpoints | ESPN2 | Aaron Murray, Landon Collins |
| Coaches Film Room | Coaches watch and discuss the game (with limited commercial breaks) | ESPN News | Mike Bobo, Pat Fitzgerald, Kevin Sumlin |
| Finebaum Film Room | Finebaum and crew discuss the game and take phone calls | SECN | Paul Finebaum, Greg McElroy, Gene Chizik |
| Expanded Voices | ESPNU will jump between five mini-"shows" featuring personalities in different areas | ESPNU | ESPN personalities |
| Sounds of the Game | A feed with the natural sounds of the stadium, no commenters | ESPN 3 / ESPN Classic | Both school's halftime presentations included |
| Command Center | A split screen with mulitple camera views and isolated feeds on Saban and Smart | ESPN Goal Line | |
| Home Town Radio | Alabama and Georgia's home radio broadcasts serve as the commentary | ESPN 3 | Also has feeds isolated on coaches and players |
| Data Center | On-screen graphics, drive charts, win probabilities, and social media reactions | ESPN3 | ESPN Radio's call |
| Sky Cam | A continuous feed of the camera that is placed above the field | ESPN3 | |
| All-22 | View all 22 players on the field at the same time | ESPN3 | |
| ESPN Radio | Play-by-play and game analysis, with a rules expert | ESPN Radio | Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge |
| ESPN Deportes | Spanish language call of the game | ESPN Deportes | Lalo Varela, Pablo Viruega |
As far as rooting interests go, I’m not going to lose any sleep over either outcome. I still do enjoy an impassioned rivalry though, and as such, I just can’t bring myself to root for the Bulldogs (or Seminoles or Volunteers). It might just be a symptom of my time in Gainesville coinciding with the Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow years - which was a time period when the Georgia rivalry seemingly burned hotter than even the Florida State one - but cheering for the Bulldogs is not on my agenda this evening.
Granted, most college football fans of teams other than the Tide are assuredly sick of seeing Bama rack up victories and championships. I’ve never subscribed to the argument that the success of Alabama, or any SEC team, directly benefits the Gators. I haven’t made it my business to root along those party lines. But if I was forced to make the unappetizing choice of deciding between another year of Tide domination, or one of Florida’s fiercest rivals hoisting the trophy — then Roll Tide (or Roll Sigh), I guess.
Who will you be rooting for and why? What viewing option will you be utilizing? Do you care about this game.. like, at all? Tell us in the comments!