Al Michaels Criticized for Michigan vs. Oregon Mix-up

Longtime broadcaster Al Michaels drew criticism from NFL fans on "Thursday Night Football" after erroneously stating that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. attended the University of Oregon. Penix, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, actually attended the University of Washington, a Pac-12 rival of Oregon.

Fans quickly took to social media to point out the error. One user tweeted, "Al Michaels just committed the cardinal sin of football, saying Michael Penix had ‘two great years at Oregon.’" Another post highlighted the mistake, stating, "Al Michaels is already drunk. He said Michael Penix went to Oregon when he actually went to Washington."

Michaels eventually corrected himself on air. The gaffe was particularly noticeable given Penix's significant impact at Washington. He led the Huskies to an undefeated regular season in 2023, culminating in an appearance in the national championship game, where they lost to Michigan. Penix finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy that year, the highest finish for any Washington player.

This is not the first time the 81-year-old Michaels, who broadcasts for Amazon Prime, has faced scrutiny. In recent years, some viewers have found his touchdown calls to be lacking in enthusiasm, leading to calls for his retirement. In 2023, Michaels addressed such criticism in an interview with Sports Business Journal, stating, "Look, sometimes I’ll take some s–t. People say, ‘He didn’t get excited enough.’ What do you want me to do? Scream, holler, yell the game? That ain’t me."

He added that he cannot let such commentary distress him, given his extensive career. "I’ve been doing this for so long. And I wouldn’t be here at this point still doing a major package if I was doing it the wrong way," Michaels said.