Beginning this season, the “SEC on ABC franchise” will debut with the Miami–Florida matchup Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m., according to a release. The SEC on ABC brand will include “a new graphics package, theme music and more.”

According to a release, all special date games and ESPN’s broadcast schedule for the first three weeks of the season will be revealed May 30. The network’s Bowl Season schedule will also be unveiled June 6.

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

READ: Joe Alt cherishes Notre Dame career, hopes to put ‘best foot forward’ with Los Angeles after No. 5 overall NFL Draft selection

ESPN’s College GameDay, which will welcome former Alabama head coach Nick Saban on set this fall, will begin the season in Dublin, Ireland, at noon on Aug. 24 when Florida State matches up in Week 0 with Georgia Tech. It will be the first time the show originates from outside the United States.

Saban and College GameDay will return stateside Aug. 31 from College Station where new Aggies head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M will face Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.

ESPN will also broadcast the Southeastern Conference debuts for Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners will open at home Aug. 30 against Temple at 7 p.m., and Texas will host Colorado State on Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m.

Deion Sanders and Colorado will also make their debut in the Big 12 Conference Aug. 29 when the Buffaloes host North Dakota State at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

READ: Former Penn State SAF King Mack transfers to Alabama

ESPN’s run of teams in new conferences continues in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Aug. 30 when Stanford, departing the Pac-12 Conference, plays TCU at 10:30 p.m.

ESPN will also carry Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama debut against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.

ABC will begin its Week 1 coverage in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium where Dabo Swinney and Clemson will take on Kirby Smart and Georgia at noon.

Here is ABC and ESPN’s Weeks 0-1 schedule.

Week 0

Florida State at Georgia Tech — Aug. 24 at noon on ESPN

Florida A&M at Norfolk State — Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Week 1

North Dakota State at Colorado — Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. on ESPN

Temple at Oklahoma — Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

TCU at Stanford — Aug. 30 at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

Clemson at Georgia — Aug. 31 at noon on ABC

Miami at Florida — Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC

Colorado State at Texas — Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

Western Kentucky at Alabama — Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

Notre Dame at Texas A&M — Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

USC at LSU — Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Boston College at Florida State — Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

The post ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule appeared first on Saturday Glory.

UCF defensive end Josh Celiscar posted on social media Monday committing to Mike Elko and the Aggies. Celiscar spent the 2023 season with the Knights and played in all 13 games totaling 47 tackles, sixth most on the team.

READ: Florida State’s Braden Fiske motivated by ‘huge impact’ leading up to NFL Draft

READ: Michael Penix Jr. set out to ‘write my own narrative’ at Washington Pro Day

Celiscar spent each of the past four years at UCF developing into a two-time captain along the D-line. He had a breakout year in 2022 earning Honorable Mention All-American Athletic Conference recognition after posting career-highs three sacks and 54 tackles including 8.5 for loss.

Celiscar has 156 tackles in his career across 50 games, including 39 starts, and 24.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, five forced fumbles and three passes defended.

Elko will have a veteran presence guiding the defensive front in his first year in College Station. He made the move from Duke after former Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher was dismissed last season.

The post UCF’s Josh Celiscar announces transfer to Texas A&M appeared first on Saturday Glory.

After entering the transfer portal following the end of the regular season, Murphy announced on X on Saturday that he will transfer to Duke.

Murphy was a four-star recruit out of the class of 2024 according to Rivals.

He spent two seasons in the Longhorns program before deciding to join the Blue Devils, who named Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz the next head coach following Mike Elko’s departure to Texas A&M.

READ: Reports: Florida State moves to file lawsuit against ACC grant of rights

Murphy made his college debut this season after filling in for an injured Quinn Ewers. Murphy appeared in seven games throwing for 477 yards and three touchdowns.

The post QB Maalik Murphy transfers to Duke appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Diaz will follow former Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko, who was hired into the same position at Texas A&M on Nov. 27.

“We are grateful and humbled for this opportunity and could not be more excited to be the head football coach at Duke University,” Diaz stated in a release. “I’d like to give a special thanks to (University President) Dr. (Vincent) Price and (athletics director) Nina (King) for their trust in me and our family as well as a true commitment to this program. Duke University is an elite institution in every facet, and we are excited to be a part of it. I’m beyond excited to get to work.”

READ: American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco announces retirement

Diaz has 15 years prior experience as a defensive coordinator and three as a head coach.

He was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2022, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.

The former Miami head coach has led Penn State to the No. 1 total defense in college football this season. Diaz and the Nittany Lions held opponents to a country-best 223.2 yards per game.

“As our process unfolded, it became abundantly clear that Manny Diaz is the right fit for Duke University and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Manny, Stephanie, and their family into the Duke community,” King stated in a release. “Manny’s previous experiences have prepared him for this opportunity, and he is, quite simply, an outstanding football coach who will capitalize on the positive momentum of this program. An elite communicator and collaborator, Manny possesses the dynamic ability to cultivate impactful relationships with internal and external constituents surrounding a successful football program. As Duke’s head football coach, I am confident that Manny will lead the young men in our program to reach and surpass their aspirations of achievement both on and off the field.”

The post Duke announces Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to become next head coach appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Elko will follow former Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher, who was fired on Nov. 12. 

“Coach Mike Elko is one of the best leaders and coaches in college football and has had high-level success at each stop of his career,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork stated in a release. “He is known amongst coaching circles as one of the best defensive minds in the country and has shown his ability to lead and turn around a program as a Power 5 head coach.” 

PODCAST: Week 13 almost had all-out chaos

Elko previously served as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach from 2018-21. 

Elko led the Blue Devils to a 16-9 record over one-plus seasons including a win in last year’s Military Bowl. 

The post Texas A&M names Duke’s Mike Elko next head coach  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Georgia reclaimed the No. 1 spot and is now atop both the CFP and Associated Press Top 25 rankings. 

PODCAST: Week 11 Recap: Are things getting any clearer?

The Bulldogs won their 27^th-consecutive game in dominant fashion over No. 13 Ole Miss, holding the Rebels to three points in the second half while quarterback Carson Beck threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Taking a look at the Atlantic Coast Conference title picture 

The conference title picture is shaping up, and this week the ACC is under observation. 

No. 4 Florida State sits atop the ACC standings at 10-0 and 8-0 in conference play. The Seminoles have a firm grip on heading to the conference championship game under head coach Mike Norvell and quarterback Jordan Travis. 

Hot on the heels are the No. 10 Louisville Cardinals, who received their highest College Football Playoff ranking since 2016 last week when they checked in inside the top 10. 

While Florida State and Louisville won’t face one another in the regular season, it very likely could happen that the two face off in the ACC championship on Dec. 2. The Seminoles already have their spot sealed up. 

Louisville will have Miami and Kentucky to close out the regular season. Both of the Cardinals’ future opponents have been ranked this season, and it won’t come easy for them. 

READ: Georgia climbs to No. 1 in third CFP rankings

Awaiting a chance to be opportunistic are North Carolina and NC State, which are both tied for third in the conference at 4-2. 

The Tar Heels have Clemson and NC State to finish the year, and the Wolfpack will play at Virginia Tech this week. 

The ACC title picture is becoming clearer. Now it just remains to be seen who the Seminoles will face. 

Blake Corum, Jayden Daniels and Marvin Harrison Jr. 

Nine hundred nineteen yards, 10 touchdowns and three victories. 

That’s what Michigan’s Blake Corum, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. did last weekend by themselves combined. 

It’s time to start considering this trio as viable contenders for the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football. 

Corum currently leads the NCAA with 18 rushing touchdowns. Daniels leads the country in passing efficiency at 202.12, and Harrison is second with 12 receiving touchdowns. 

Daniels had a more than impressive game against Florida last weekend. He passed for 372 yards and three touchdowns, then added 234 yards on the ground along with two rushing touchdowns, totaling five scores against the Gators. 

Harrison had a season-high three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ win over Michigan State. He ran in the first rushing score of his career from 19 yards out. 

Corum had a season-high 145 rushing yards in Michigan’s win at Penn State without head coach Jim Harbaugh. He also had two rushing touchdowns. 

Corum’s current Heisman odds are north of +25000, Daniels’ are +370 and Harrison’s are +600, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. With the regular season dwindling down, this trio could be waiting for their Heisman moments. 

The head coaching carousel is beginning to spin 

Every year in college football there is coaching turnover. 

That’s no different this season. 

READ: San Diego State head coach Hoke to retire at end of season

Texas A&M made the decision to fire head coach Jimbo Fisher despite more than $76 million remaining in his contractual buyout. It was the first head coaching move of the season. 

Boise State also fired head coach Andy Avalos on Sunday, and Penn State relieved offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich of his duties as well. 

Also, a head coaching job opened up in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State moved on from head coach Zach Arnett on Sunday afternoon. 

There will be more moves to come, but for now, these openings are available. Indiana and Iowa are also looking for new offensive coordinators in the Big Ten Conference as the Hoosiers moved on from Walt Bell and the Hawkeyes will replace Brian Ferentz. 

Among the names of potential head coaching replacements thus far include Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, Duke’s Mike Elko and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. 

The post Big Board: Week 12  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 8 Oregon will meet No. 13 Utah on the road, and the Ducks are looking to build on their 38-24 win over Washington State which served as a bounce-back measure after falling in a top-10 bout with Washington. 

PODCAST: Do we have any more clarity after some major week eight decisions?

There are also 12 ranked teams that will play on the road in addition to Oregon, and the group includes No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State. No. 2 Michigan is on a bye. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas 

The top team in the Big 12 Conference will hit the road and challenge one team looking to play spoiler to their undefeated season. 

A 7-0 Oklahoma squad is set for its third road game of the season against the Jayhawks, who are doing a bit of searching after losing their second of three outings last week. 

The Sooners avoided upset last week against UCF, defeating the Knights 31-29 after trailing 23-17 in the fourth quarter. 

This week, they’ll face the No. 7 total offense in the Big 12 that averages 443.1 yards per game. Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean has taken over under center for Jalon Daniels, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and Bean passed for 410 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions last week at Oklahoma State. 

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is impressed with how dynamic Kansas’ offense can be, and he expects a number of ways the Jayhawks will attack Oklahoma’s defense, which is the No. 1 scoring defense in the Big 12 holding opposition to 16.1 points per game. 

“There’s a lot going on from an eye candy standpoint,” Venables said. “One of the most explosive offenses, explosive runs and explosive passes in all of college football. And so again, we’ve got to do a great job of playing with discipline and gap integrity and then staying on top of everything, leveraging routes in the back end, so that they don’t have this great balance, and that’s the challenge of all of that.” 

No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah 

This week’s premier matchup focuses on the Pac-12 and the stipulations behind the Oregon-Utah matchup. 

Both teams enter with one loss in conference play already. They’re chasing Washington and USC in the standings, and both Oregon and Utah have proven worthy threats to the Pac-12 crown. 

Oregon has the top scoring offense in the Pac-12 and leads in rushing offense behind an average of 226.9 yards per game. Receiver Troy Franklin is second in the conference with 109.7 receiving yards per game. 

The Ducks defense is stout, too. They hold opponents to 312.6 yards per game. 

“There is no weakness. They’re a complete team,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “Big game in the conference picture. They’re a one-loss team as are we, so both our backs are to the wall and it should be a hopefully a great football game.” 

READ: Reports: Army set to join AAC in 2024

Whittingham said he’s long been impressed with the way Oregon quarterback Bo Nix plays, particularly with “the way he just leads and competes every week.” 

“He’s a tremendous player,” Whittingham said. “But the thing I like about him most is his competitiveness and his leadership, and I saw that at Auburn. I saw him play one game at Auburn. I was watching an SEC game a couple of, what was it, three years ago I guess now in the ’21 season, and saw this guy. I thought, ‘Who is that guy? He’s just making plays and just an absolute field general of the team and it was him and so I’ve had a strong opinion of how good he is for several years.” 

No. 20 Duke at No. 18 Louisville 

In a matchup between two teams looking to bounce back from losses, there are plenty of Atlantic Coast Conference championship implications between Duke and Louisville this week. 

North Carolina suffered its first loss of the season last week to unranked Virginia, and the Tar Heels currently are tied for second in the ACC with Louisville. Duke sits tied for fourth place. 

Louisville boasts the No. 4 scoring offense in the ACC behind an average of 34.1 points per game, while Duke holds the top scoring defense in the conference holding opponents to 13.9 points per game. 

The Blue Devils are searching for a win amid their quarterback dealing with injury. Riley Leonard suffered a shoulder injury against Notre Dame in September, and he played last week against the Seminoles going 7-for-16 with 69 pass yards and an interception. 

READ: Big Board: Week 9

Duke is also looking to get back in the win column after losing its second game in its past three contests. Head coach Mike Elko said he’s not concerned with the way the Blue Devils have handled themselves in defeat. 

“The one thing I don’t question about this group is response,” Elko said. “We’re wired in a really good way right now in that locker room because those kids understand that they’ve got a very small window to represent Duke football and they want to try to take advantage of it as best they can, so I’m not worried about our response. I’m more worried about can we stop this Louisville offense and can we make enough plays on our side to win the football game.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 9  appeared first on Saturday Glory.