Switzer’s Fiesta Bowl tryout a success

Sooner fans finally can take consolation in knowing something good came out last January’s Fiesta Bowl debacle, OU’s 43-42 overtime loss to Boise State. Barry Switzer, added as a guest analyst for the Fox Sports telecast of the bowl, made such an impression on network executives with his work with Jimmy Johnson on the pregame, halftime and postgame segments that Switzer this week landed a regular job with Fox Sports.This fall, he will again team with Johnson for a regular “Coaches Corner” segment on the “Fox NFL Sunday” studio show. Switzer, who along with Johnson are the only two coaches to win both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl, will be in Fox’s Los Angeles studio each week to analyze the NFL and BCS.

Switzer is quickly becoming a media mogul. Beginning Aug. 20, he can be heard on XM Satellite Radio. He will co-host “XM Sports Nation This Morning” with T.J. Rives from 5:30 to 7 a.m. Mondays and Fridays.

For the past two years, Switzer, former OSU coach Pat Jones and KWTV News 9 sports director Dean Blevins had been working on plans for a statewide Sunday football discussion show. Those plans probably will be sidetracked with Switzer’s new Fox gig. Blevins said the difficulty in finding a good time slot also presented a problem.

The return of “Fox NFL Sunday” to Los Angeles should benefit viewers. Doing the show from remote stadium locations helped turn it into an unneeded sideshow and presented some technical problems for Fox.

Curt Menefee will be the new host for the “Fox NFL Sunday.” He replaces Joe Buck, who will continue as the network’s top play-by-play voice. The versatile Buck has enough to do without handling both roles. Fox Sports’ “NFL Insider” Jay Glazer also will move into the studio and cute weather woman Jillian Barberie is back after a year’s absence.

Fox’s NFL teams: Fox has announced its NFL broadcast teams for the season. Former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston has been teamed with Kenny Albert and Tony Siragusa. He had worked with Dick Stocktown. Here is the lineup:

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver.

Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa.

Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger.

Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, Chris Myers.

Matt Vasgersian, JC Pearson.

Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli.

 FSN to preview colleges: With the countdown to live college football games two weeks away, FSN has started airing 30-minute specials on Big 12 teams, Arkansas and LSU. Emily Jones, who returns for her second season as a sideline reporter on Big 12 telecasts, hosts the Big 12 South Division, Arkansas and LSU shows from each school’s campus. She’s joined by FSN Big 12 play-by-play announcer Bill Land, Big 12 analysts Gary Reasons and Dave Lapham, John Rhadigan, Ric Renner, Neil Beasley, and scout.com’s Dudley Dawson (Hawgs Illustrated) and Matt Deville (Tiger Rags). FSN Midwest’s Stacy Paetz hosts the North Division shows.

Here are the OU and OSU airdates:

Oklahoma: Saturday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m.; Monday, Aug. 20, 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2:00 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 28, 2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma State: Thursday, Aug. 16, 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2:30 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, 12:30 p.m.

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