ESPN College Gameday 2021: TV Schedule, Predictions and Location for Week 3

All week, Penn State head coach James Franklin has been talking up the energy that will be at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. And the atmosphere will only be amplified by the presence of ESPN's College Gameday.

The popular college football kickoff show is heading to Happy Valley this week, as it will air live from Penn State's campus beginning at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN. After a full day of football, No. 10 Penn State will be hosting No. 22 Auburn in a prime-time non-conference matchup. It's only the third time that the Nittany Lions (Big Ten) and Tigers (SEC) have faced off, and it will be the first regular-season meeting between the programs.

"I want these [Auburn] fans to go back to the SEC and say, 'We love our football, but what they do up there at Penn State is special,'" Franklin said earlier this week, per Audrey Snyder of The Athletic.

Here's everything you need to know heading into Week 3 of the 2021 college football season.

Week 3 Top 25 Schedule, Predictions

Saturday, Sept. 18

Nebraska at No. 3 Oklahoma, noon ET, Fox

New Mexico at No. 7 Texas A&M, noon ET, SEC Network

No. 8 Cincinnati at Indiana, noon ET, ESPN

No. 15 Virginia Tech at West Virginia, noon ET, Fox Sports 1

No. 16 Coastal Carolina at Buffalo, noon ET, ESPN2

Michigan State at No. 24 Miami, noon ET, ABC

Northern Illinois at No. 25 Michigan, noon ET, Big Ten Network

Purdue at No. 12 Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC

No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Kent State at No. 5 Iowa, 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

Georgia Tech at No. 6 Clemson, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Tulsa at No. 9 Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Georgia Southern at No. 20 Arkansas, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network

South Carolina at No. 2 Georgia, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Stony Brook at No. 4 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Virginia at No. 21 North Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network

Tulane at No. 17 Ole Miss, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2

No. 19 Arizona State at No. 23 BYU, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

No. 14 Iowa State at UNLV, 10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Fresno State at No. 13 UCLA, 10:45 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

Picks in bold

Week 3 Preview

There are three games featuring a pair of ranked teams on Saturday. And because they're spaced apart, it should be possible to catch most of the action in all three. So it should be an exciting day of football.

Saturday's first marquee matchup features the best team in the country. No. 1 Alabama is going on the road for its SEC opener, taking on No. 11 Florida. It should be the Crimson Tide's biggest test yet after opening the season with wins over Miami and Mercer.

But there may not be much that the Gators can do to slow the Tide. Even though Alabama lost a bunch of top players from last season, the depth throughout the program has allowed it to replenish its roster yet again.

Sophomore quarterback Bryce Young has impressed in his first two games as the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback, going 46-for-65 for 571 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. The Gators' defense will likely struggle to find a way to slow him down.

Alabama has won its past seven meetings with Florida, with each of the past three coming in the SEC Championship Game (2015, 2016 and 2020). This is the first time the conference rivals have played in Gainesville, Florida, since 2011, and the Gators' last win over the Tide came back in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.

Because Georgia is the No. 2 team in the country, it may be unlikely that Alabama and Florida play for the SEC title again this year. But if the Gators can upset the Crimson Tide, perhaps they're strong enough to stay in the running in the SEC East.

Auburn's matchup at Penn State won't have an impact on the SEC standings, considering it's a non-conference contest, but it will be a big opportunity for the Tigers to notch a statement victory early in the season. Auburn won its most recent meeting with Penn State, which came in the 2003 Capital One Bowl.

The Nittany Lions already have one big win this season, as they opened the campaign by going on the road and knocking off Wisconsin in a Big Ten clash. They're now in a stretch of four straight home games, which began with last week's win over Ball State.

Auburn will be a much tougher opponent, though, considering it's among the top teams in the SEC. The Tigers also have an experienced starter at quarterback in junior Bo Nix, who has passed for 383 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions during their 2-0 start.

The ranked action won't be over once Auburn-Penn State is decided, as No. 23 BYU is hosting No. 19 Arizona State in a late non-conference clash. It's the first time these two programs are facing off since 1998.

Although BYU is an independent school, this will be its third straight game against a Pac-12 opponent to open the season. The Cougars have already picked up wins over Arizona and Utah.

Meanwhile, Arizona State is also 2-0, but it's faced weaker competition, having beaten Southern Utah and UNLV at home. While the Sun Devils can have a strong season without a win at BYU, this will be a chance for them to prove themselves as a deserved ranked team.

Outside of these three matchups, many ranked teams are playing much weaker opponents this week. But you never know when and where a surprise upset will pop up in the college football world.