Week 2 Welcomes Longtime Rivalries, 17 of the Top 25 Set for ESPN Networks

• Key matchups: No. 10 Iowa at No. 9 Iowa State; No. 13 Florida at South Florida; Washington at Michigan; and No. 15 Texas at Arkansas

After a jam-packed Week 1 slate, Week 2 of college football on ESPN networks is set for showdowns between non-conference foes, with matchups featuring 17 Top 25 teams. In total, nearly 60 games are slated for showcase across ESPN networks.

The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy will reach new heights, as the first-ever Top 10 matchup will be featured in the rivalry between No. 10 Iowa and No. 9 Iowa State. Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe will be on the call from Ames at 4:30 p.m. ET. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot pregame show will make its second trip to Ames in three years for the Cy-Hawk rivalry on Saturday morning (9 a.m. – noon).

ABC is also home to the Sunshine State showdown on Saturday, Sept. 11 between No. 13 Florida and South Florida at 1 p.m., featuring Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Kris Budden announcing the action. Closing out the night on ABC, Washington-Michigan is slated for ABC’s Saturday Night Football presented by Capital One at 8 p.m. Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Molly McGrath will be on the TV call, with Sean Kelley, Barrett Jones and Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio from the Big House. The game will also feature both SkyCast and the Great Clips Command Center on ESPN3 and the ESPN App.

On ESPN, the longtime rivalry between Texas and Arkansas is renewed in primetime, as Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Katie George call the contest between the Longhorns and the Razorbacks at 7 p.m. The matchup will be featured on SkyCast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App as well.

Pittsburgh and Tennessee kick things off with Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek and Tom Luginbill at noon, with the Panthers-Vols matchup also live on ESPN Radio featuring Marc Kestecher and Max Starks. Another in-state rivalry on ESPN networks, No. 21 Utah takes on BYU at 10:15 p.m. on ESPN, as Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Alex Chappell announce the action.

On ESPN2, UAB travels to No. 2 Georgia for the 4K Game of the Week, as Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III and Quint Kessenich call the matchup between the hedges. 2020’s breakout team, No. 17 Coastal Carolina, hosts Kansas at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept 10. Jason Benetti, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra will announce the action Friday night.

Ranked Teams Tussle on ESPN’s College Networks
Two of the top teams in the country are slated for afternoon action on ESPN’s College Networks. Top-ranked Alabama hosts Mercer at 4 p.m. on SEC Network, with the SEC Saturday Night trio of Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic on the call. On ACC Network, No. 6 Clemson welcomes in-state opponent South Carolina State to Death Valley, as the ACC Network Primetime crew of Dave O’Brien, Tim Hasselbeck and Kelsey Riggs announce the action.

Newcomers Make Booth Debuts
Deuce McAllister, Brian Custer and Eddie Royal all make their booth debuts on ESPN networks this weekend. McAllister and Custer are both on noon calls Saturday, with McAllister announcing Alabama State at No. 25 Auburn on SEC Network, teaming up with Dave Neal and Andraya Carter. Custer will be on play-by-play duties for the matchup of South Carolina at East Carolina on ESPN2, joined by analyst Kelly Stouffer and reporter Lauren Sisler. Royal, a former Hokies standout, returns to his alma mater, joining Bill Roth on the call of Middle Tennessee at No. 19 Virginia Tech at 2 p.m. on ACCNX.

HBCU Matchup Featuring Coaches Eddie George and Deion “Prime Time” Sanders Set for Primetime
Saturday’s Southern Heritage Classic combines the passion and pageantry of HBCU football with the meeting of two head coaches who are legends in their own right. Tennessee State, led by Ohio State great Eddie George, and Jackson State, helmed by Florida State standout Deion Sanders, go head to head in Memphis at the Liberty Bowl. The game will be carried live on ESPN3 at 7 p.m. and tape-delayed later that evening on ESPNU at 10:30 p.m.

Additional ESPN Networks – Week 2 Highlights

• Murray State at No. 7 Cincinnati: Saturday at 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
  • Talent: Connor Onion, Bobby Carpenter
• Georgia State at No. 24 North Carolina: Saturday at 7:30 p.m., ESPN3
• Austin Peay at No. 20 Ole Miss: Saturday at 7:30 p.m., ESPN+/SEC Network+
  • Talent: Richard Cross, Ben Hartsock
• UNLV at No. 23 Arizona State: Saturday at 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
  • Talent: Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison, Dawn Davenport

College Football Original Series on ESPN+

• Eli’s Places – Former Ole Miss All-American and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning takes on his own version of his brother Peyton’s signature show to explore what makes college football a way of life across the country. Episode 2: “Heisman Campaigns” debuts today, featuring football greats Larry Fitzgerald and Joe Theismann joining Manning on an exploration of the mystique surrounding college football’s most prestigious award, while political consultant and LSU superfan James Carville provides advice on running a Heisman campaign. Episode 1 of Eli’s Places “The First Game” is also available to stream now and follows Manning as he investigates the birth of college football with actor, comedian and New Jersey native Jon Stewart.
• SMU Football: The Hilltop – “Welcome to Dallas,” the first episode of SMU Football: The Hilltop, a behind-the-scenes documentary series chronicling the Mustangs’ 2021 season, is available to stream now on ESPN+. Episode 1 shows Southern Methodist University head coach Sonny Dykes and his players as they enter fall camp in preparation for what they hope is a breakout season in Dykes’ fourth year at the helm. New episodes of The Hilltop will be available to stream every Thursday during the season.
• Our Time: UCF Football – A new season of Our Time, featuring the University of Central Florida, will debut on ESPN+ this Thursday, Sept. 9. As new head coach Gus Malzahn enters this season seeking to further establish UCF as a national power, Our Time: UCF Football will give fans an all-access, inside look at the Knights every Thursday throughout the season. The Our Time series previously chronicled Oklahoma State and head coach Mike Gundy last year.

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.