Nation’s Top Three Teams, 15 Ranked College Football Squads Slated for ESPN Networks in First Week of November

- Rivalries renewed between LSU and No. 3 Alabama, No. 7 Oregon and Washington
- Additional key matchups: Mizzou at No. 1 Georgia, Tulsa at No. 2 Cincinnati, No. 11 Oklahoma State at West Virginia, No. 5 Michigan State at Purdue, No. 10 Wake Forest at North Carolina
Week 10 of the 2021 college football season features the top three teams in the country – and 15 of the AP Top 25 – in action on ESPN networks during the first week of November. In total, 40 games are scheduled across ESPN platforms, with every game available on the ESPN App.
ESPN’s Saturday primetime game features a matchup of SEC West rivals as No. 3 Alabama hosts LSU at 7 p.m., with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call. The Tigers-Crimson Tide contest will be supplemented by the AT&T 5G SkyCast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App. Slated for ESPN at noon is top-ranked Georgia hosting Mizzou, with Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George commentating from Athens. The Tigers-Bulldogs showdown will be supplemented by the SkyCast viewing option and the Great Clips Command Center on ESPN3 and the ESPN App.
At 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, No. 11 Oklahoma State travels to West Virginia for a Big 12 battle, with Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden announcing the midday matchup.
ABC’s Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One is a revival of the border war between No. 7 Oregon and Washington. The primetime presentation is set for 7:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN Radio, with Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich on ABC and Jorge Sedano and Tom Ramsey on the ESPN Radio call from Seattle.
A pair of top-10 teams – No. 5 Michigan State and No. 10 Wake Forest – are ready for road action on ABC Saturday afternoon. The fifth-ranked Spartans face off against Big Ten foe Purdue, featuring Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill announcing the action at 3:30 p.m. At noon, the 10th-ranked Demon Deacons match up against in-state ACC rival North Carolina, with Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Molly McGrath providing commentary.
A trio of ranked teams are scheduled for ESPN2 Saturday, highlighted by second-ranked Cincinnati. The No. 2 Bearcats host American Athletic Conference competitor Tulsa at 3:30 p.m., with Anish Shroff, Mike Golic Jr. and Taylor McGregor on the call. The game will be amplified by ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot from The Commons on Cincy’s campus on Saturday morning (9 a.m. – noon). This is the Bearcats’ first time hosting the preeminent pregame show and it’s also Homecoming weekend at UC. In primetime, No. 18 Kentucky welcomes Tennessee at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, with Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison and Dawn Davenport providing commentary. At 10:15 p.m., undefeated No. 16 UTSA travels to UTEP with Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman and Tiffany Blackmon calling the C-USA contest.
A pair of Top 25 squads are slated for ESPNU this weekend. John Schriffen and Rene Ingoglia will call No. 23 SMU on the road at Memphis at noon. No. 20 Houston takes on South Florida Saturday in primetime, with Mike Couzens and Dustin Fox announcing the American action at 7:30 p.m. In addition, an Ivy League showcase is set for ESPNU Friday, as Princeton and Dartmouth face off from New Hampshire. Eric Frede and Jack Ford will provide commentary for the battle between the top two Ivy squads at 6 p.m.
ESPN’s robust schedule of games kicks off Thursday with No. 24 Louisiana hosting Georgia State. Matt Barrie, Roddy Jones and Alex Chappell will be on the ESPN call at 7:30 p.m. Closing out live CFB coverage Saturday on ESPN is USC traveling to Tempe to take on Arizona State at 10:30 p.m. Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Stormy Buonantony are slated to announce the Pac-12 After Dark action.
SEC Network kicks off its Saturday slate with a non-conference contest, as No. 15 Ole Miss hosts Liberty at noon with Dave Neal, Deuce McAllister and Andraya Carter on the call. The matchup marks McAllister’s first game as an analyst at his alma mater.
Midweek MACtion Returns
The shift to November signals the return of a fan favorite – midweek MACtion on ESPN2 and ESPNU. The Tuesday/Wednesday showdowns are set for the spotlight each week throughout the rest of the regular season.
In addition to their Saturday assignments, Schriffen and Ingoglia (Eastern Michigan at Toledo, ESPN2) and Couzens and Fox (Miami at Ohio, ESPNU) will each team up Tuesday for the kickoff of Week 10 MACtion at 7:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman will announce Northern Illinois-Kent State at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, a potential MAC Championship Game preview and a showcase of the league’s two division leaders. On ESPNU Wednesday, Drew Carter and Eric Mac Lain will call Central Michigan at Western Michigan, also at 7 p.m.
ESPN Networks – Additional Week 10 Highlights
- Idaho State at No. 17 BYU: Saturday at 3:30 p.m., ESPN3
- No. 21 Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern: Saturday at 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Texas at Iowa State: Saturday at 7:30 p.m., ESPN Radio
- Talent: Sean Kelley, Barrett Jones, Ian Fitzsimmons
College Football Playoff Top 25 Revealed on Tuesday
In a college football season filled with upsets and thrillers, ESPN will exclusively reveal the College Football Playoff Top 25 for the first time in 2021 with the College Football Playoff Top 25 Ranking Show Presented by Allstate on Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. Rece Davis will host the show, joined live by college football analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Joey Galloway and Greg McElroy. More info is available here.
College Football Original Series on ESPN+
- Why Not Us: FAMU Football presented by Cricket Wireless – “Make Them Pay,” the third episode of the second season of Why Not Us, is available to stream now. Coming off a Week 1 defeat, the Rattlers take the field for their first home game in two years. Coach Simmons decides which quarterback gives FAMU the best chance at their first win. New episodes stream every Thursday during the season.
- Eli’s Places – Episode 9: “College Football’s Fantastic Finishes” is available to stream now, where Eli Manning connects with Doug Flutie to discuss Boston College’s famous Hail Mary win against Miami in 1984 and meets up with Kevin Moen, the man most remembered for running through California’s marching band in the 1982 classic finish between the University of California and Stanford. The final episode of the season, “Big Manning on Campus,” debuts Wednesday, where Eli returns to the University of Mississippi and joins his father and Ole Miss all-time great, Archie Manning, to reminisce and have his college jersey retired.
- Our Time: UCF Football – Available to stream now on ESPN+, Episode 7: “Specialists,” looks at what it took for Alex Ward to get on the UCF team and how he lends his special skills to the Knights kicking staff. New episodes debut every Thursday throughout the season.
- SMU Football: The Hilltop – “ZZ Topped Tulane”, the eighth episode of SMU Football: The Hilltop is available to stream now, where The Mustangs stay perfect on Thursday Night’s big stage and move to 7-0 with a little help from a legendary rocker: Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top. New episodes of The Hilltop will be available to stream every Thursday during the season.
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.
The full schedule and on-air talent grid can be found here.