Week 13 of College Football Across ESPN Networks: The Biggest and Bitterest Rivalries on the Menu for Thanksgiving Week

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Week 13 of College Football Across ESPN Networks: The Biggest and Bitterest Rivalries on the Menu for Thanksgiving Week

  • Fourteen ranked squads featured, more than three dozen games on ESPN platforms
  • Primetime presentations of Bedlam, featuring No. 13 Oklahoma at No. 9 Oklahoma State, and the Egg Bowl with No. 12 Ole Miss visiting No. 25 Mississippi State on Thanksgiving
  • Additional key matchups: No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech, Oregon State at No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Cincinnati at East Carolina, Penn State at No. 7 Michigan State, No. 10 Wake Forest at Boston College, No. 14 BYU at USC, No. 16 Texas A&M at LSU

Rivalry Week is upon us, with some of the sport’s most intense rivalries set for ESPN networks in Week 13. This week’s programming slate features 14 of the CFP Top 25, including two marquee matchups under the lights with ranked teams on both sides of the ball. In total, more than three dozen games are scheduled for ESPN platforms, with every game available on the ESPN App.

ABC’s Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One is bound for Bedlam, as No. 9 Oklahoma State hosts conference foe and in-state rival No. 13 Oklahoma in a matchup with College Football Playoff implications and a potential Big 12 Championship Game preview. The primetime presentation is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call, and will be supplemented by the AT&T 5G SkyCast and Great Clips Command Center on ESPN3 and the ESPN App.

Two top 10 teams are also set for ABC Saturday, with top-ranked Georgia facing off against in-state foe Georgia Tech at noon, with Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden announcing the action from Atlanta. At 3:30 p.m., No. 7 Michigan State hosts Penn State, with Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Molly McGrath on the call for the Big Ten East battle on ABC.

ESPN kicks off ranked action on Thanksgiving with the Egg Bowl, as No. 25 Mississippi State is set to take on No. 12 Ole Miss from Starkville. The Magnolia State matchup features Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George providing commentary on ESPN with a SkyCast viewing option on ESPN3 and the ESPN App.

Friday features No. 5 Cincinnati on the road at East Carolina, as the Bearcats look to cap their undefeated regular season and stop the Pirates’ four-game winning streak. Jason Benetti, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra will announce the American action on ABC at 3:30 p.m. In primetime, No. 20 NC State hosts Tobacco Road rival North Carolina at 7 p.m. on ESPN, with Matt Barrie, Roddy Jones and Tiffany Blackmon on the call.

Saturday has a full plate of Thanksgiving Week action as conference and in-state rivals go head to head. ESPN’s Saturday slate kicks off at noon with Florida State at Florida, as the Sunshine State rivalry is renewed on ESPN. Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich will call the action, and SEC Network will feature a Command Center option for the showdown between the Seminoles and the Gators. At 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, third-ranked Oregon and Pac-12 rival Oregon State clash in the West’s oldest rivalry. Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill will be announcing the action from Autzen Stadium.

In primetime, ESPN and ESPN Radio will have coverage of No. 16 Texas A&M at LSU. Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic have the TV call in Baton Rouge, and Sean Kelley, Barrett Jones and Ian Fitzsimmons commentating on the SEC contest on ESPN Radio. Closing out live CFB coverage Saturday on ESPN is No. 14 BYU at USC at 10:30 p.m. Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Stormy Buonantony are slated to announce the late night action.

A duo of ranked ACC squads are set for ESPN networks Saturday. No. 10 Wake Forest hits the road for Boston College at noon, with Dave O’Brien, former Eagles quarterback Tim Hasselbeck and Kelsey Riggs on the ESPN2 call. ACC Network will feature an in-studio watch party with The Huddle crew at noon, as a Wake Forest win secures the Demon Deacons a berth in the ACC Championship Game. In primetime on ACCN, John SchriffenRene Ingoglia and Taylor Davis will be on the mic for No. 18 Pittsburgh at Syracuse at 7:30 p.m.

College Football Originals on ESPN+

  • Why Not Us: FAMU Football presented by Cricket Wireless – “High Hopes,” the fifth episode of the second season of Why Not Us is available to stream now. As the team readies itself for a crucial game against last year’s SWAC champion, Alabama A&M, NFL scouts visit football practice to evaluate potential draft prospects, including top safety Markquese Bell.
  • Our Time: UCF Football – Available to stream now on ESPN+, Episode 9: “On a Pedestal” looks at the recent injury of head coach Gus Malzahn, and the Knights looking for creative ways to put the coach on top of the action. Divaad Wilson, the charismatic DB, continues to give life to the team. New episodes debut every Thursday throughout the season.
  • SMU Football: The Hilltop – The eleventh episode of the series, “Bounce Back,” is available to stream now. The Mustangs get back into the win column with a dominant victory over UCF. New episodes stream every Thursday during the season.

ESPN Networks – Additional Week 13 Highlights

  • No. 22 UTSA at North Texas: Saturday at 2 p.m., ESPN+
  • Clemson at South Carolina: Saturday at 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
    • Talent: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang

College Football Playoff Top 25 Revealed on Tuesday
In a college football season filled with upsets and thrillers, ESPN will exclusively reveal the fourth week of the College Football Playoff Top 25 with the College Football Playoff Top 25 Ranking Show Presented by Capital One on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. Rece Davis will host the show live, joined by college football analysts Kirk HerbstreitJoey Galloway and David Pollack.

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.

Note: all rankings above are based on the Nov. 16 CFP Top 25

Amanda Brooks

Amanda is the Director of Communications for ESPN College Football, SEC Network and Longhorn Network, and oversees publicity for college gymnastics and track & field across all ESPN platforms. 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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