Clemson-Georgia leads ABC's early-season prime-time slate
ESPN has filled the first three prime time slots on ABC's Saturday Night Football in 2021 with non-conference blockbusters.
The network will open its Saturday Night Football slate Sept. 4 in Charlotte when Clemson and Georgia, a pair of national contenders, square off at Bank of America Stadium. Sophomore quarterback and former prized recruit D.J. Uiagalelei is in line to make his third career start for the Tigers, who lost phenom Trevor Lawrence to the NFL draft.
Michigan will house the ABC telecast the following week when Washington pays a visit to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines went 2-4 in a shortened 2020 season, while the Huskies went 3-1 in an even shorter campaign under rookie head coach Jimmy Lake.
ABC will cap the early-season portion of its schedule Sept. 18 in Happy Valley as Penn State welcomes Auburn. The Tigers are hoping new head coach Bryan Harsin can unlock an offense that sputtered more often than not under predecessor Gus Malzahn.
ABC will also air the Alabama-Miami afternoon affair Saturday, Sept. 4, and the Notre Dame-Florida State evening matchup Sunday, Sept. 5.
The Saturday night game on ABC typically draws ESPN's top broadcast team, which includes play-by-play man Chris Fowler, color analyst Kirk Herbstreit, and sideline reporter Maria Taylor.