Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy argued that SMU belongs in the CFP while warning the committee against setting a dangerous precedent. Credit: ESPN
College FootballESPNBy Matt Yoder on

The game of the day on Championship Saturday in college football was unquestionably the ACC Championship Game between the SMU Mustangs and Clemson Tigers. Not only did it have the most at stake, with each team facing a situation where they needed to win to ensure a playoff berth, but it was by far the most exciting. And ESPN’s Sean McDonough was there to expertly lead fans every step of the way.

SMU staged a furious 17 point comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the game in the final seconds at 31-31. However, an outstanding kickoff return by the Tigers allowed them a chance at a 56 yard field goal for the win on the last play of the game. And McDonough rose to the occasion with a fantastic call of Nolan Hauser’s game winner to send Clemson to the playoff after being on the outside looking in.

Sean McDonough has been on the national scene for a long time. He was the lead baseball announcer for CBS in the early 1990s, calling memorable moments like Sid Bream’s slide when the Braves beat the Pirates in the 1992 NLCS and Joe Carter’s walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series. His tenure there also included work on pretty much every other sport the network televised, perhaps most notably some of his calls during March Madness.

Since moving to ESPN, Sean McDonough has held several other high profile roles including being the current lead voice of the network’s NHL coverage. His biggest assignment was arguably Monday Night Football, which he called from 2016-2018 with Jon Gruden. Even McDonough admitted the pairing did not mesh. But one of his trademarks in his brief MNF tenure was his outspokenness and willingness to call out officiating, which may not have toed the company line.

Viewers saw that again last night in a refreshing bit of honesty when McDonough strongly argued for SMU to make the playoff ahead of Alabama in what seems to be the last decision for the College Football Playoff committee to make. The fact that he said it in front of former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, and the elephant in the room of ESPN’s giant SEC contract, made it all the more noticeable.

Whether it’s his calls of game-defining moments or his honesty with viewers, McDonough received a ton of praise on social media for his work during the ACC Championship game with many recognizing him as one of the best in the business. Although he’s been so versatile and such a consistent presence in sports over the past 30-plus years, this college football role may be his best.

McDonough and McElroy finished in the second spot in our 2024 college football announcer rankings, just behind their ESPN colleagues of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit. But it’s clear to see that they would deserve to be a top pairing at any network. Sean McDonough has held a lot of roles throughout his illustrious career and has always shined wherever he’s gone, even if he hasn’t gotten the publicity of others. Saturday night’s ACC Championship Game was just the latest example.

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