The release of the SEC football schedule on Wednesday features the return of non-conference matches and an opening day roster on September 4 that includes a Power 5 bout. LSU in UCLA, Georgia vs. Clemson (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Miami vs. Alabama (Atlanta).
Louisville and Be Miss will play each other on September 6, Labor Day, in Atlanta.
Texas A&M, which came close to making the University Football Playoffs last season, will travel to Colorado in Week 2, recreating the previous Top 12 program bouts. The game will be played at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
Blonde, which will be led by new coach Bryan Harsin, will play on Penn State in Week 3.
Defending champions Alabama will kick off conference games that Saturday with a trip to Florida, setting up a rematch of last season’s SEC championship match, which was won by Crimson Tide 52-46.
“We are proud to have completed the 2020 football season under unique circumstances and will now focus on playing the 2021 football season on schedule,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “The circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus will continue to guide our decision making if any adjustments need to be made.”
The SEC canceled all non-conference matches last season amid the pandemic, with teams playing 10 regular season matches against league opponents each.
The 2021 schedule will also feature two homecoming trips for the head coach.
Coach Ole Miss Lane Kiffin will return to Tennessee for the first time as head coach when the Rebel fight the Volunteers on October 16. Kiffin only spent one season as head coach at Tennessee in 2009 before leaving for the USC, sparking a commotion from students in Knoxville.
Former coach Ole Miss Hugh Freeze will return to his old hometown Freedom a trip to Ole Miss on November 6. Freeze spent five seasons as head coach at Ole Miss before stepping down in 2017 after school officials discovered a pattern that included phone calls to numbers associated with female escort services. Freeze took over the Liberty program in 2019 and have turned 18-6 in two seasons.
Other highlights of the SEC’s release schedule include:
Former Florida and South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp was seen wandering around Athens, Ga., The last few days. According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Muschamp spent the entire Wednesday at the facility.
There is speculation that Muschamp could join the Bulldogs staff in some capacity, most likely in an off-field role. As a former player in Georgia with lots of connections to Kirby Smart, it makes sense that that’s the next step after being sacked by South Carolina in his fifth season as head coach.
Florida tight ends Kyle Pitts is missing his senior season and will not be playing in the upcoming Gators bowl game to prepare for the match Draft NFL 2021, he announced on social media Sunday.
Pitts, a junior from Philadelphia, is considered a potential top 10 pick.
“After a lot of prayer and consideration and talking with my family, I will forget about my senior year and enter the 2021 NFL draft and will not be playing in a bowl game,” Pitts write on Twitter. “I really wanted to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL. But I will always be a Gator.”
Pitts (6-foot-6, 239 pound) is ranked No. 1 among ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. The goalkeeper put Pitts on as the No. 7 overall; McShay ranked him 10th.
Pitts has 43 catches for 770 yards with 12 goals in eight games this season for the Gators, who are expected to be selected to play in a New Year’s six-bowl tie on Sunday. He has seven receptions for 129 yards with one score in a 52-46 at a loss to No. 1 Alabama in Saturday night’s SEC championship game.
Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State each won their respective conference championships on Saturday, adding more drama to the University Football Playoff debates.
Which team will complete the top four? How will another bowl fight vibrate? ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are considering their final projections for the 2020 season.
College Football Playoffs
College Football Playoff National Championship brought to you by AT&T Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida January 11, ESPN Bonagura: Alabama vs. Clemson Schlabach: Alabama vs. Clemson
College Football Playoff semifinals at the Rose Bowl AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (moved) January 1, ESPN Bonagura: Ohio State vs. Clemson Schlabach: Ohio State vs. Clemson
College Football Playoff semifinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans January 1, ESPN Bonagura: Alabama vs. Notre Dame Schlabach: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Schedule bowls
December 21st
Myrtle Beach Bowl Set fight: North Texas vs. Appalachian State Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina) 2:30 pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App
December 22nd
Idaho’s Famous Potato Bowl Set fight: Nevada vs. Tulane Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho) 3:30 pm on ESPN and the ESPN App
Boca Raton bowl Set fight: UCF vs. BYU FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida) 7pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App
23 December
R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Set fight: Louisiana Tech vs. South Georgia Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans) 3:30 pm on ESPN and the ESPN App
Montgomery Bowl Set fight: Memphis vs. FAU Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) 7pm on ESPN or ESPN2 and the ESPN App
December 24th
New Mexico Bowl Set fight: Hawai’i vs. Houston TBD (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 3:30 pm on ESPN and the ESPN App
December 25th
Camellia Bowl Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) 2:30 pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Ball State vs. Coastal Carolina Schlabach: Ball State vs. Troy
December 26th
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Afternoon on ABC and the ESPN App Bonagura: Liberty vs. South Carolina Schlabach: Carolina Coast vs. South Carolina
Cure Bowl
World Camping Stadium (Orlando, Florida) Afternoon on ESPN and ESPN App Bonagura: Marshall vs. Louisiana Schlabach: Marshall vs. Louisiana
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Gerald J.Ford Stadium (Dallas) 3:30 pm on ABC and ESPN App Bonagura: Boise State vs. UTSA Schlabach: Boise State vs. UTSA
LendingTree Bowl Set fight: Western Kentucky vs. State of Georgia Ladd-Peebles Stadium (Mobile, Alabama) 3:30 pm on ESPN and the ESPN App
Radiance Technologies’ Bowl of Freedom Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana) 7pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Army vs. Nebraska Schlabach: Army vs. Nebraska
Guaranteed Price Bowls Chase Field (Phoenix) 10:15 am on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Texas Tech Schlabach: Texas Tech vs. Wisconsin
December 28th
Military Bowl Brought to you by Perspecta Naval-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland) 2:30 pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Troy vs. Navy Schlabach: Liberty vs. Navy
December 29th
Cheez-It Bowl World Camping Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 5:30 pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Miami vs. Oklahoma Schlabach: Miami vs. Oklahoma
Valero Alamo bowl Alamodome (San Antonio) 9pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Texas vs. Colorado Schlabach: Texas vs. Colorado
December 30th
Mayo Duke bowl Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) Afternoon on ESPN and ESPN App Bonagura: Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin Schlabach: Wake Forest vs. Minnesota
TransPerfect Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee) 3:30 pm on ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Iowa vs Kentucky Schlabach: Iowa vs Kentucky
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) 7:15 pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M Schlabach: Oklahoma vs. Florida
December 31st
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas) Afternoon on ESPN and ESPN App Bonagura: Baylor vs. State of Mississippi Schlabach: Arizona State vs. Mississippi State
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee) 4pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: West Virginia vs. Tennessee Schlabach: West Virginia vs. Tennessee
Arizona Bowl Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona) 4 pm on CBSSN Bonagura: Buffalo vs. San Jose State Schlabach: Buffalo vs. San Jose State
Texas Bowl NRG Stadium (Houston) 8 nights on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: TCU vs. Arkansas Schlabach: TCU vs. Arkansas
January 1st
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl Legion Square (Birmingham, Alabama) Afternoon on ESPN2 and the ESPN App Bonagura: Tulsa Vs. UAB Schlabach: Tulsa Vs. UAB
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 12:30 pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Georgia vs. Cincinnati Schlabach: Georgia vs. Cincinnati
Vrbo Orange Bowl World Camping Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 13.00 on the ABC and ESPN App Bonagura: Indiana vs. Auburn Schlabach: Indiana vs. Auburn
January 2
TaxSlayer Gator bowl TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida) Afternoon on ESPN and ESPN App Bonagura: NC State vs. Ole Miss Schlabach: NC State vs. Ole Miss
Outback Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) 12:30 pm on ABC and ESPN App Bonagura: Northwestern vs. Missouri Schlabach: Northwestern vs. Missouri
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona) 4pm on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Oregon vs. Iowa State Schlabach: Oregon vs. Iowa State
Capital One Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 8 nights on the ESPN and the ESPN App Bonagura: Florida vs. North Carolina Schlabach: Texas A&M vs. North Carolina
Bowl game canceled
Bowl matches that have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic:
“It has been an emotionally grueling time for the Keyontae family, friends and teammates,” said Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin in a statement. “Our hope is that everyone affected will take the opportunity to process these emotions and regroup ahead of the start of the new year.”
The next Florida game scheduled now is the SEC opener at Vanderbilt on December 30th.
Stricklin also provided another positive update on Johnson, who stepped into steady state on Tuesday and started breathing on his own and talk to his family and doctor.
“Keyontae Johnson continues to show really encouraging signs of progress as he undergoes further testing and evaluation at UF Health,” said Stricklin. “He and his family thanked him for the outpouring of love, prayers and good wishes.”
Johnson passed out in the first half of a game against Florida The State of Florida on Saturday, fell face down on his return to the pitch after the first half deadline. He was given emergency medical attention and carried off the field on a stretcher before being rushed to the Tallahassee Memorial.
