5-0 Buckeyes and 5-0 Ducks to Meet in Potential College Football Playoff Preview on Big Ten Saturday Night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; Big Ten College Countdown Begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
First Top-Three Regular-Season Matchup on NBC since “Game of the Century” Between No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Notre Dame in 1993
QB Riley Leonard and No. 11 Notre Dame Host Stanford in a Battle for the Legends Trophy at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
Eligible Students Can Sign-Up to Receive Special Peacock Student Discount Offer for $1.99/Month
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 9, 2024 – The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 3 Oregon Ducks in a matchup of national championship contenders from Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., in primetime on Big Ten Saturday Night this Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
On Saturday afternoon, the No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Stanford Cardinal in a rivalry that dates back nearly a century, kicking off at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Big Ten Saturday Night, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon
This week’s Big Ten Saturday Night matchup features the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) visiting the No. 3 Oregon Ducks (5-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET from Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. Pregame coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET.
“I’ve had this game circled on the schedule from the beginning of the season, and now two top three teams will square off in Eugene on Saturday night!”, said Big Ten Saturday Night analyst Todd Blackledge. “Both Ohio State and Oregon are playing their best football right now, and the atmosphere at Autzen Stadium will be off the charts electric!”
This is the first top-three regular-season matchup on NBC since the “Game of the Century” between No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Notre Dame in 1993. The Irish defeated eventual Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward and the Seminoles 31-24 in South Bend. The Seminoles went on to win the national championship later that season.
Saturday’s matchup will mark the first non-Ohio State-Michigan Big Ten matchup of top three nationally ranked teams since No. 1 Iowa defeated No. 2 Michigan, 12-10, in 1985.
The Ducks are led by Heisman candidate quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who leads the FBS in completion percentage (77.8%), and wide receiver Tez Johnson, who is one of five receivers in the country with 40 or more catches (43) and at least five touchdown receptions (five).
The Buckeyes’ potent offense, featuring running back Quinshon Judkins and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, ranks in the top five in points per game (46) and are the No. 1 scoring defense in the country (6.8 points allowed per game). Ohio State’s wide receiver duo of Smith (6) and Emeka Ebuka (5) are one of two pairs of wide receivers (Colorado’s Travis Hunter and LaJohntay Webster) with at least 11 combined touchdowns catches.
The Buckeyes defeated Iowa, 35-7, last week behind Egbuka’s 71 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Will Howard added four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, while Smith had four receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown in the win. Howard ranks in the top 10 in the country in passer rating (178).
The Ducks look to stay hot after defeating Michigan State, 31-10, last Friday. Running back Jordan James rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Tez Johnson added 84 receiving yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions. Gabriel threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a touchdown on the ground.
Ohio State at Oregon will be called by Noah Eagle (play-by-play) and Todd Blackledge (analyst), with Kathryn Tappen and Paul Burmeister on the sidelines. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay serves as the rules analyst.
3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock: Stanford at No. 11 Notre Dame
The No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Stanford Cardinal in a battle for the Legends Trophy at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins with College Countdown at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The Notre Dame-Stanford rivalry dates back to January 1, 1925, when the two teams met in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 22-14 and defeated Stanford 56-23 in their last meeting in 2023.
Notre Dame, which had a bye last weekend, defeated then-No. 15 Louisville, 31-24, at home two weeks ago as quarterback Riley Leonard totaled 215 yards (163 passing, 52 rushing) with three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) while wide receiver Jaden Greathouse had four receptions for 61 yards and a score. The Irish are the only team in the country with two wins against Top 25-ranked opponents this season.
Stanford looks to bounce back after falling to Virginia Tech, 31-7, last week. Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor had three catches for 33 yards and a touchdown while running back Micah Ford added 47 rushing yards as well as a 19-yard passing touchdown.
Stanford at Notre Dame will be called by Dan Hicks, (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sidelines). Former Big Ten referee Reggie Smith serves as the rules analyst.
College Countdown and Big Ten College Countdown on NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports’ studio shows College Countdown (3 p.m. ET) and Big Ten College Countdown (7 p.m. ET) will both air live on NBC and Peacock on Saturday. Maria Taylor hosts College Countdown and Big Ten College Countdown alongside analysts Chris Simms, Joshua Perry, and Jordan Cornette, and college football insider Nicole Auerbach in studio, with host Ahmed Fareed and analysts Matt Cassel and Michael Robinson on-site at Autzen Stadium to preview the upcoming game and provide news and commentary on the day in college football.
Big Ten College Countdown will lead into Big Ten games on NBC and Peacock. In addition, College Countdown will lead into Notre Dame Football games on NBC and Peacock.
NBC Sports College Football Podcasts:
B1G Talk with Todd and Noah, hosted by Todd Blackledge and Noah Eagle, sees the two personalities dive into the new-look Big Ten conference, covering the key storylines in college football across the largest conference in the nation as well as the matchups headlining Big Ten Saturday Night. They’ll also analyze impact players and performances every Wednesday during the college football season. Click here to listen.
Rushing the Field, hosted by Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry, releases new episodes every Thursday morning throughout the season. Auerbach and Perry will break down the biggest college football stories, preview the upcoming weekend slate, analyze the college football playoff picture, and cultivate a home for college sports fans who want the latest news, smart takes, and laughs. Click here to listen.
NBC Sports’ 2024 Big Ten and Notre Dame Football games announced to date:
Day | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
Sat., Oct. 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Stanford at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Oct. 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Ohio State at Oregon | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Oct. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Iowa at Michigan State | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Florida State at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 16 | 3:30 p.m. | Virginia at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 23 | 7 p.m. | Army at Notre Dame (at Yankee Stadium) | NBC, Peacock |
Fri., Nov. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Nebraska at Iowa | NBC, Peacock |
The remaining NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football games will be announced during the season, with each matchup typically announced 12 days prior to the scheduled game date.
NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football package features Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC and Peacock – marking Big Ten Football’s first dedicated weekly primetime game on a national broadcast network.
Eligible students can sign-up for Peacock’s Student Discount offer, available for $1.99/month. For more information and to sign-up, click here.
Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games and studio shows airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night and Notre Dame Football home games.
In addition to Big Ten football, Peacock’s sports programming features live coverage of the Premier League, college basketball, Sunday Night Football, Notre Dame Football, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Teams soccer matches (in Spanish), and NBA and WNBA coming in 2025-26. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.
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