ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ coverage of the Orange Bowl was off to a rocky start, even before the game kicked off at Hard Rock Stadium.

The network’s flagship college football show experienced an awkward technical glitch during its pre-match discussion. Panelists Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso were deep in conversation about the Fighting Irish when it became clear that former Alabama head coach Saban’s microphone wasn’t working.

Viewers at home couldn’t hear a word when the 73-year-old began his game analysis. After more than 12 seconds of silence, host Davis stepped in to inform the seven-time national champion of the mic issue.

“Hey just a second. I’m told we don’t have your mic right now, don’t want to miss these points,” Davis said, adding: “Let’s see if we can get that straightened out and get Nick’s mic there.”

Despite McAfee’s attempt to fix the problem by adjusting Saban’s mic, the issue persisted. Eventually, the technical glitch was resolved, and Saban was able to continue his analysis with everyone able to hear him.

This isn’t the first hiccup ESPN has experienced since the start of the College Football Playoff. Last week, during the quarterfinal match between Notre Dame and Georgia, the network’s SkyCast camera malfunctioned, providing viewers with distorted crowd shots.

Corso also fell over during Thursday's coverage

Corso also fell over during Thursday’s coverage ( 

Image:

ESPN)

At one point, the camera even flipped upside down before ESPN had to pull the wide-angle perspective feed for about an hour to fix the issue, resorting to conventional camera angles in the interim. Prior to the disruption, technicians were seen inspecting the camera as it descended from the stadium’s roof.

Thursday’s pregame coverage was overshadowed by Corso’s fall live on set. The 89-year-old broadcaster took a tumble while doing an Irish jig while dressed as a leprechaun. Thankfully, the Fighting Irish’s mascot caught Corso before he hit the floor.

“Damn Lee Corso almost fell and broke a hip,” wrote one fan on social media, while another added: “Man Lee Corso can barely stand up on his own what type of contract they got him in man.”

The winner of Thursday’s game between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 6 Penn State will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State. The College Football Playoff National Championship game will take place in Atlanta on January 20.