I'm in Minnesota - so I usually get Big 10 games. Here are some alternatives that I fall back on.
If the game is not on TV around these parts, I check ESPN 360....however, ESPN360 only allows you to access the games if you are with a select few cable providers. They don't allow ours, but every college campus gets access to 360...so if we don't have it on TV my wife and I are going to run over to the university down the street and watch it there.
Also, in PPV situations, my buddies back in Lincoln put a web cam in front of their 56" TV and we watch the game via Windows Live Messenger. The quality depends on the webcam, but it gets us by.
Worst case scenario we run to the Twin Cities and watch it at Sensors.
Another idea is finding some stream somewhere online...questionable legality, but it's worth it for the Huskers. We haven't had to do this yet.
There hasn't been a game this year that we've missed. Hopefully these alternate ideas can help some of you out!
GBR