Secret to success for NBC college football analyst Todd Blackledge: Keep it simple

Todd Blackledge doesn’t have catchphrases or shtick, and he keeps a pretty even keel. When you’re one of the best college football analysts on TV, you don’t need any of that.

That’s how a lot of viewers see Blackledge, who has been a network analyst for over 30 years. He’s in his third season on NBC’s “Big Ten Saturday Night” with Noah Eagle and reporter Kathryn Tappen, and they’ll be on the call for No. 9 Illinois’ visit to No. 19 Indiana on Saturday (6:30 p.m., NBC 5, 890-AM).

“There’s two things I try to do; it’s very simple,” Blackledge said. “I try to answer the question ‘Why?’ as often as I can. The second part is, I try to say it in a way my wife would understand. I don’t want to only speak in football language that only coaches and players would understand.”

Blackledge, 64, frequently accomplishes both alongside Eagle, 28. Despite their age disparity, they’ve clicked from the start. Eagle has broadcasting in his blood as the son of renowned sportscaster Ian Eagle, and Blackledge is as easygoing as they come.

“I have so much respect for [Noah]. He’s so talented, so well prepared, buttoned up,” Blackledge said. “Our age difference is significant, and yet we have a blast together. I think part of that is because Noah’s kind of an old soul for as young and hip as he is.”

The Illinois-Indiana game features two top quarterback prospects in Luke Altmyer and Fernando Mendoza. As a former quarterback who led Penn State to the national championship in 1982, that’s right up Blackledge’s alley.

“I had Luke last year at Penn State,” Blackledge said of the game he called last September. “I was impressed by his toughness and some of the plays he made. Both of them are considered NFL-type guys. Mendoza’s a little bigger, but Luke Altmyer knows how to play the position.

“I’m a big believer in experience at the position, and I know Mendoza had experience at Cal, but this is his first time as the Indiana quarterback playing in the Big Ten, and Altmyer’s got those couple of years under his belt. I think that that’s an advantage.”

Blackledge also thinks Illinois (3-0) is more battle-tested, having beaten Duke convincingly on the road, whereas Indiana (3-0) walloped three lesser teams at home.

“Going on the road and playing Duke, and it’s a one-point game at halftime and then pulling away and taking the ball away,” Blackledge said, “I think that win is much more impressive than anything that’s on the Indiana slate right now, including their 73-0 win a week ago.”

He doesn’t think the loser will be eliminated from playoff contention – “So much can happen between now and Week 12,” he said – but the winner certainly will have a leg up.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say Illinois can be like Indiana was last year,” Blackledge said. “I said, ‘Well, no, this was a team that won 10 games. They’re not sneaking up on anybody.’ Everybody knows they were good last year, and they have a chance to be even better this year because of their quarterback, who I really, really like.”