Thanksgiving Week Features College Football Feast, Nearly Three Dozen Matchups Across ESPN Networks

College Football

Thanksgiving Week Features College Football Feast, Nearly Three Dozen Matchups Across ESPN Networks

Updated at 10:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 28

With 13 AP Top 25 teams set to be showcased across ESPN networks this week, Thanksgiving week highlights some of the most-anticipated matchups of the season. On Thanksgiving Friday, ESPN and ABC boast two games with conference title game implications in the ACC and Big 12, respectively, and a longtime Pac-12 rivalry renewed under the lights in Corvallis. In total, nearly three dozen games are set for the holiday weekend, the first after Tuesday night’s initial College Football Playoff Rankings. Every game is available on the ESPN App.

No. 25 North Carolina hosts second-ranked Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Katie George on the call as the road test for the Fighting Irish carries ACC title and College Football Playoff implications. Kicking off the day on ABC are No. 15 Iowa State and No. 20 Texas at noon, as Matt Barrie, Mike Golic Jr. and Kris Budden announce the action in this clash between Big 12 contenders. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, the 124th meeting between No. 9 Oregon and Oregon State is set for kickoff on ESPN. Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Shelley Smith will team up for the battle between these Oregon rivals.

Saturday’s primetime lineup sees a trio of ranked teams in action. In the SEC, LSU travels to College Station to take on No. 5 Texas A&M. Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Budden will announce Tigers-Aggies on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET. ABC’s Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One will highlight a Pac-12 matchup between Utah and Washington. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison and Stormy Buonantony on the call. Over on SEC Network and ESPN Radio, No. 13 Georgia travels to Columbia to take on South Carolina. Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang will team up for the TV call, with Sean Kelley and Barrett Jones on the radio broadcast.

The 3:30 window features two Top 25 teams, including No. 4 Clemson and No. 11 Northwestern. Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Todd McShay will call Pittsburgh at the No. 4 Tigers on ABC, which is the Samsung QLED 4K Game of the Week. A SkyCast presentation of the Panthers-Tigers matchup will be available on ESPNU. Over on ESPN, it’s No. 11 Northwestern at Michigan State in the midday window, with Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman and Taylor McGregor on the call.

There are two ranked squads in the noon window on Saturday, including No. 6 Florida and No. 12 Indiana. On ESPN, the sixth-ranked Gators host Kentucky, as Mark Jones, Chris Doering and Quint Kessenich will announce the action. Over on ESPN2, the Hoosiers host conference foe Maryland with Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer and Jerry Punch on the call.

First College Football Playoff Rankings Set for Tuesday
With the postseason looming and the question of “Who’s In?” on the minds of teams and fans alike, ESPN ushers in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season with College Football Playoff Top 25 Ranking Show Presented by Allstate on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. Rece Davis will host the show, joined by college football analysts Kirk HerbstreitJoey Galloway, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack. More info here.

Additional ESPN Networks – Week 13 Highlights

  • Mississippi State at Ole Miss: Saturday at 4 p.m., SEC Network
    • Talent: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
  • No. 23 Louisiana at Louisiana-Monroe: Saturday at 3 p.m., ESPN3
  • No. 16 Coastal Carolina at Texas State: Saturday at 3 p.m., ESPN+

Additional college football updates will be forthcoming, and the schedule is subject to change. Please continue to check @ESPNPR and ESPN Press Room for more information.

All rankings are Week 13 AP Top 25 rankings. Moving forward, ESPN will use the College Football Playoff Rankings.

Date Time (ET) Game/Talent Network
Fri, Nov 27 Noon No. 15 Iowa State at No. 20 Texas
Matt Barrie, Mike Golic Jr., Kris Budden
ABC
  UMass at Liberty ESPN3
  3:30 p.m. No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 25 North Carolina
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Katie George
ABC
  UCF at South Florida
Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer
ESPN
  7:30. p.m. No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State
Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, Shelley Smith
ESPN
Sat, Nov 28 Noon Penn State at Michigan
Dave Pasch, Mike Golic Sr., Paul Carcaterra
ABC
  Kentucky at No. 6 Florida
Mark Jones, Chris Doering, Quint Kessenich
ESPN
  Maryland at No. 12 Indiana
Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer, Jerry Punch
ESPN2
  Bowling Green at Ohio
David Wilson, Jerod Cherry
ESPNU/ESPN+
  NC State at Syracuse
Wes Durham, Roddy Jones
ACC Network
  Vanderbilt at Missouri
Dave Neal, DJ Shockley, Taylor Davis
SEC Network
  Georgia Southern at Georgia State ESPN3
  Ball State at Toledo
Michael Reghi, Devin Gardner
ESPN3
  SMU at East Carolina
Lincoln Rose, LaDarrin McLane
ESPN+
  Northern Illinois at Western Michigan
Dan Gutowsky, Marcus Ray
ESPN+
  1 p.m. Miami (Ohio) at Akron
Anthony Lima, Dave Bacon
ESPN3
  UTEP at Rice ESPN3
  3 p.m. South Alabama at Arkansas State ESPN3
  No. 23 Louisiana at Louisiana-Monroe ESPN3
  No. 16 Coastal Carolina at Texas State ESPN+
  3:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at No. 4 Clemson
Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Todd McShay
ABC
  No. 11 Northwestern at Michigan State
Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Taylor McGregor
ESPN
  Troy at Appalachian State
Bill Roth, Dustin Fox
ESPN2
  4 p.m. Louisville at Boston College
Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Eric Wood
ACC Network
  Mississippi State at Ole Miss
Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
SEC Network
  7 p.m. LSU at No. 5 Texas A&M
Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden
ESPN
  Kansas State at Baylor
Jason Benetti, Andre Ware, Ian Fitzsimmons
ESPN2
  Duke at Georgia Tech ESPN3
  7:30 p.m. Utah at Washington
Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Stormy Buonantony
ABC
  No. 13 Georgia at South Carolina
TV: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang
Radio: Sean Kelley, Barrett Jones
SEC Network/ESPN Radio

Note: Not all digital games are exclusive

Amanda Brooks

Amanda is the Senior Director of Communications overseeing publicity strategy for ESPN’s entire college sports portfolio, including college football and the College Football Playoff, 40 NCAA Championships and ESPN's college networks. Amanda is a proud alum of Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., and earned her master's in ethics from Vanderbilt University. A native of Kent, Ohio, she is a die-hard Cleveland Guardians fan.
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