News

College Football is back on WFTV Channel 9

ORLANDO, Fla — College football is back on WFTV this Saturday and Sunday.

Labor Day weekend and no need to labor, just sit back and watch some of the best college football on WFTV this weekend.

Tulane at No. 2 Oklahoma | 12 p.m. Saturday on WFTV Channel 9

Week 1 starts with the Oklahoma Sooners verses the Green Wave of Tulane

The game was originally scheduled to be played in New Orleans, but Hurricane Ida moved the game to Norman. Ida also forced Tulane to move to Birmingham, Alabama to prepare for the opener.

READ: Report: Big 12 looking to add UCF, Cincinnati, BYU, Houston

Oklahoma is coming off a 9-2 season and enters this year with its highest preseason ranking in a decade. Quarterback Spencer Rattler is one of the early Heisman favorites.

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 14 Miami | 3:30 p.m. Saturday on WFTV Channel 9

There will be a new look for Alabama in 2021 after the team had a record-tying six players selected in the NFL Draft first round.

Alabama has not lost an opening game since Saban took over the program. Saban’s teams have won 14 straight games in Atlanta and is 6-0 in Chick-fil-A Kickoff games.

READ: No. 1 Alabama banking heavily on new wide receivers, Metchie

Meanwhile the Canes are beginning their third season under head coach Manny Diaz. The team went 8-3 last season with all three losses against top 25 teams.

No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 3 Clemson | 7:30 p.m. Saturday on WFTV Channel 9

Nationally, the biggest top 25 match-up of the weekend, No. 3 Clemson versus No. 5 Georgia in Charlotte.

Clemson has won 10 straight regular season games over SEC opponents. The last time Clemson lost to an SEC team during the regular season was against Georgia in 2014. The two programs haven’t played since.

From our sister station WSB: Kirk Herbstreit breaks down Georgia-Clemson, what the Dawgs’ biggest advantage could be

According to the Associated Press, no team has lost its opening game and bounced back to reach the Bowl Championship Series title game or the College Football Playoff.

Both teams are favored to win their conferences. But if it turns out either team is on the bubble during playoff talks, this head-to-head result could become a major factor.

No. 9 Notre Dame at Florida State | 7:30 p.m. Sunday on WFTV Channel 9

Many in Florida might argue that Florida State verses No. 9 Notre Dame at Doak S. Campbell Stadium will be the one to watch.

Florida State will honor coaching great Bobby Bowden, who died at 91 of pancreatic cancer on Aug. 8, by wearing a back helmet bumper with Bowden’s signature. The coaching staff’s polo shirts will have a Bowden patch on a sleeve. The “Bobby” signature and his trademark straw hat will also be painted on each 25-yard line.

READ: Legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden dies at 91

Notre Dame will feature a couple of notable transfers, quarterback Jack Coan (from Wisconsin) and AP preseason All-American guard Cain Madden (from Marshall), who were brought in to strengthen the offense.

The Associated Press and WSB.com contributed to this report.