College Football 2011: Power Ranking Best Television Personalities in the Game

College football has something for everyone: the actual game, the rivalries, the atmosphere, the cheerleaders and the crowds of nearly 100,000 in some stadiums. You also have the well-known college football analysts, who are usually either loved or hated by those who watch them.

There are not a huge number of college football analysts that can actually be pointed to as being great. Whether they are good or bad, though, most of them are quite well known to anyone watching college football.

Who are the top ones currently around? The top 10 television personalities are listed here.

Unfortunately, there's no Bob Griese on the list, since he announced his retirement from broadcasting last month.

10. Todd Blackledge

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TUSCALOOSA - OCTOBER 17: ESPN TV analyst Todd Blackledge walks on the field before the game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on October 17, 2009. The Crimson Tide beat the G

Blackledge is a person who is probably known for being the weak link of the quarterback class of 1983, but he's become a good analyst for college football. He has been a part of ESPN's College Football Saturday Primetime since 2006 and he hasn't done anything to lose the gig.

His Taste of the Town segments are what gets him on the list, though, as they are enjoyable to watch so long as you're a foodie.

9. Brock Huard

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CHATTANOOGA, TN - DECEMBER 17: (L-R) Brock Huard and Mickey Charles attend the 23rd Annual Football Championship Subdivision Awards Presentation on December 17, 2009 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images)

Huard mainly discusses the NFL but he is also a color commentator for college football games on ESPN. I haven't watched much of him, since his expertise is the West Coast (graduated from Washington and covers the Seahawks), but what I have seen I have liked.

He's certainly not the flashiest guy on this list or the most electric. Those guys are yet to come. He seems to know what he's talking about, though, and that's half the battle right there.

8. Lou Holtz

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: ESPN reporter Lou Holtz looks on during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game between the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ronald Mar

He may share broadcasting duties with Mark May, but since 2005, Holtz has been a solid college football analyst. Depending on one's opinion of him, he is either one of the best on television—or someone who should have hung the mic up a long time ago,

A legendary college football coach does not necessarily translate into a great analyst, but Holtz does have his moments in which he is very good. It's likely too late in his career for him to rise up on this list.

7. Brent Musberger

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3 Jan 2002: ABC broadcaster Brent Musberger on the sidelines during the Rose Bowl National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Miami won 37-14. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Brent Musberger has been at this game forever. He began covering college football as a play-by-play analyst back in 1982 and he is currently a commentator for the Rose Bowl and the BCS National Championship.

He gets points off because his commentary during the final seconds of the Auburn-Oregon game didn't add to the adrenaline of the moment. If anything, it sucked a bit of it out. He usually does a good job at keeping fans in the moment, so I'll let that slide for now.

6. Urban Meyer

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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 1: Coach Urban Meyer of the Florida Gators directs play against the Penn State Nittany Lions January 1, 2010 in the 25th Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

OK, so he is not yet a college football analyst, as he will begin his rookie year in announcing this fall. However, he has the charisma, the heart and, most importantly, the knowledge to be a great television personality, so I'm taking a leap of faith and putting him on this list.

5. Chris Spielman

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15 Oct 1995: Linebacker Chris Spielman of the Detroit Lions watches the action during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won the game 30-21. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Anybody who does commentary alongside Bob Griese can't be too bad, right? That's where Chris Spielman has spent his time as an announcer on ESPN College Gameday.

The new College Football Hall of Fame inductee is one of my favorite analysts. He does a great job getting his points across. No matter who fills Griese's seat, Spielman should be able to carry them and continue to have solid broadcasts.

4. Brad Nessler

Brad Nessler is a longtime college football analyst who almost feels like an under-the-radar type of guy to me. He goes in, says what needs to be said and does his job. As the play-by-play analyst for ESPN College Football Saturday Primetime, he's one of the best personalities in the business.

Nessler can be intense when needed, but he doesn't overdo it and he handles his position with a bit of class. He is an analyst for NFL and college basketball games as well, so he can still be heard when there is no college football to be played.

3. Kirk Herbstreit

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 05: Broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit speaks onstage during the 'BCS Title Game' panel at the ESPN portion of the 2011 Winter TCA press tour held at the Langham Hotel on January 5, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Br

Recent developments in the past few months have made me question if I should have Herbstreit ranked this highly. His comments on Terrelle Pryor, his reported suing of the IRS and other issues seem strange.

Despite all that, when it comes to being an analyst for college football, Herbstreit is one of the best in the business. He is fairly no-nonsense on the mic, which works perfectly in contrast to Lee Corso. He understands the landscape of college football very well.

His Herbie awards for this past season of college football were relatively accurate, considering he dished them out in August. Who else had Michigan State as the under-the-radar team going into the year?

2. Lee Corso

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 25: ESPN television personality Lee Corso watches the Ohio State Buckeyes play the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 25, 2008 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Since 1987, Corso has been a staple of the college football landscape. Whether or not you agree with what he says, his energy makes him one of the most enjoyable personalities to watch. If nothing else, the headgear he uses to make the predictions is fun.

It's tough to say how much longer he can go, but so long as he and Herbstreit have their back and forth, College GameDay will be fine. It won't be easy to replace a guy like Corso when he steps down, for better or worse.

1. Erin Andrews

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DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Television persoanlity Erin Andrews attends a private dinner hosted by Audi during Super Bowl XLV Weekend at the Audi Forum Dallas on February 5, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Audi)

In the end, this was a surprisingly easy top choice. Andrews has spent time as a sideline reporter for college football and she was a part of both Saturday Primetime and College GameDay. She knows what she's talking about and she brings additional energy to the game.

It helps that she is easy to look at, too. Having both the look and the knowledge makes Andrews an asset to the world of college football.