Saturday\u2019s college football game between No. 23 Houston and Oregon State took a dramatic turn after starting out as a potential blowout.<\/p>\n
The Cougars were able to build up to a 26\u20137 lead by the middle of the third quarter, but back-to-back touchdown drives by the Beavers cut that lead to 26\u201320 with nine minutes left in regulation. The stage was set for a fun ending and a potential upset of a ranked team, with Houston entering the game as heavy favorites over Oregon State.<\/p>\n
But fans who had invested the previous three hours in the outcome of the game received a jarring bit of news when ESPN cut in to jump to coverage of Texas\u2019 season opener against Texas State. Those who wanted to keep following Oregon State-Houston were instructed to shift to ESPNews.<\/p>\n
You can watch the transition below.<\/p>\n
ESPN moved off the Oregon State-Houston game after a TD + XP in a 26-20 game with just over 9 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, in favor of Texas State-Texas.<\/p>\n
The Oregon State-Houston game was moved to ESPNews. \ud83c\udfc8\ud83d\udcfa pic.twitter.com\/ya6uhjrRrK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n There was one extra and uncontrollable variable working against the Oregon State-Houston game. A weather delay in the third quarter had forced a half-hour pause in game action, pushing it closer to the start of Texas-Texas State.<\/p>\n Still, the decision to jump was a pretty telling move from ESPN in terms of where the true power of the power conferences lie. A competitive game headlined by a ranked team in a conference that has a partnership had its broadcast cut short so that another conference could get to kickoff live.<\/p>\n Texas is a marquee program, and Arch Manning is the biggest star that college football has this year, but their game against Texas State was set to be a blowout, with the Longhorns entering as 29.5-point favorites. Further, the Texas game hadn\u2019t even kicked off yet, with ESPN instead spending a minute in the studio previewing the game.<\/p>\n Fans who had been locked in watching the Cougars and Beavers expressed frustration on social media.<\/p>\n ESPN left Houston-Oregon State with 9 mins left in the fourth\u2026 score 26-20\u2026 to make the kickoff of the SEC game (Texas State vs. Texas).<\/p>\n Sent Houston-OSU to ESPN News.<\/p>\n Hierarchy (Power 2) move by Big 12 \u201cpartner.\u201d<\/p>\n Brett Yormark can\u2019t be happy.<\/p>\n \u2014 John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) September 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Total disrespect for your audience that has invested 2+ hours with you at this point. Should\u2019ve either pushed the kickoff or started the UT game on ESPN News. TV 101. If I was Yormark, I\u2019d be pissed too. \ud83c\udfc8 https:\/\/t.co\/eUnJo2Qx4y<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bob Thompson (@rltsports) September 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Fascinating programming decision by ESPN. Sending a long, one score, Oregon State-Houston game to ESPNews for the start of Texas State-Texas.<\/p>\n I would be pretty upset at that decision if I was the Big 12.<\/p>\n