No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Notre Dame are scheduled to face off in the Rose Bowl, but “The Granddaddy of them All” won’t take place in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. The state of California has enacted strict attendance policies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and not even the Rose Bowl was exempt. So, in order to keep teams from traveling across the country to play a game no one can watch, the game has been moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Apart from the change in venue, there are some interesting storylines to watch. The Fighting Irish hold a commanding 5-2 lead in this series, starting with wins in each of the first four meetings between these teams. The last time Alabama and Notre Dame met, however, was in the 2013 BCS championship game: a 42-14 beating of Brian Kelly’s Irish by Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide team.
MORE: Watch Alabama vs. Notre Dame live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Since that game, Alabama has gone 7-4 in the postseason, winning four CFP semifinals and two national titles. The Irish are 4-2 in the postseason in that same span, but 0-2 in New Year’s Day 6 bowls (including 0-1 in the Playoff).
On paper, Notre Dame may have a tough time slowing down the Tide’s three-headed offensive monster of quarterback Mac Jones, receiver DeVonta Smith and running back Najee Harris to do so; all three finished in the top five of the Heisman voting, with Jones and Smith earning finalist statuses. To that end, look for Ian Book and Kyren Williams to attack an Alabama defense that may have been exposed a little in the SEC championship game vs. Florida.
Here is everything you need to watch the 2021 Rose Bowl game between Alabama and Notre Dame, including the start time and TV channel for the College Football Playoff semifinal.
MORE: Full betting guide for Alabama vs. Notre Dame
What channel is Alabama vs. Notre Dame on today?
TV channel (national): ESPN Live stream: ESPN app, fuboTV
Alabama vs. Notre Dame will air live on ESPN. Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge will call the game from the booth as broadcaster and analyst, respectively. Todd McShay and Allison Williams will serve as the sideline reporters.
Alabama vs. Notre Dame start time
Date: Friday, Jan. 1 Kickoff: 4 p. m. ET
Friday’s game will begin at 4 p.m. ET. It is one of four games that will take place on the ABC family of networks that day, including the second on ESPN..
Alabama football schedule 2020
Notre Dame football schedule 2020
College Football Playoff schedule
Here’s the full schedule for the College Football Playoff semifinal and championship games, plus final scores and how to watch every game live.
