The second of two College Football Playoff semifinal games will take place at 8 p.m. ET on New Year's Day — and it certainly has the most bad blood between its participants, Clemson and Ohio State.
Who could forget these teams' classic, controversial Fiesta Bowl matchup in 2019? An overturned fumble, questionable targeting call and last-second interception resulted in a narrow 29-23 Clemson win — easily one of the best CFP semifinal games since the Playoff's 2014 inception.
Clemson's Dabo Swinney and Ohio State's Ryan Day are doing nothing to turn down the heat ahead of this matchup, either: Swinney voted the Buckeyes 11th in his latest Coaches Poll, while Day was caught on camera saying, "We're going to f—ing beat their a—."
MORE: Watch Clemson vs. Ohio State live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
There's more than just recent history between these two programs, however. The Tigers are 4-0 all time against Ohio State — including 3-0 under Swinney — dating back to the teams' first meeting in the 1978 Gator Bowl. That game resulted in a 17-15 Clemson win but, more importantly, marked the last time Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes would coach after he punched Clemson's Charlie Bauman.
And you can't discount the rivalry between Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields. Both players hail from the state of Georgia, came out in the same recruiting class, ranked first and second in the recruiting rankings, respectively, and are considered — depending on whom you ask — the top two prospects ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. Fields lost the first head-to-head meeting last season, and would love nothing better than to even the score in what could be his final season.
Here is everything you need to watch the 2021 Sugar Bowl game between Clemson and Ohio State, including the start time and TV channel for the College Football Playoff semifinal.
MORE: Full betting guide for Clemson vs. Ohio States
What channel is Clemson vs. Ohio State on today?
- TV channel (national): ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN app, fuboTV
Clemson vs. Ohio State will air live on ESPN. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will serve as the broadcaster and analyst, respectively. Maria Taylor will serve as the sideline reporter.
Clemson vs. Ohio State start time
- Date: Friday, Jan. 1
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Friday's game will begin at 8 p.m. ET. It is one of four games that will take place on the ABC family of networks that day, including the third on ESPN..
Clemson football schedule 2020
| Week | Date | Game |
| 1 | Sept. 12 | Clemson 37, Wake Forest 13 |
| 2 | Sept. 19 | Clemson 49, The Citadel 0 |
| 3 | Oct. 3 | Clemson 41, Virginia 23 |
| 4 | Oct. 10 | Clemson 42, Miami 17 |
| 5 | Oct. 17 | Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 7 |
| 6 | Oct. 24 | Clemson 47, Syracuse 21 |
| 7 | Oct. 31 | Clemson 34, Boston College 24 |
| 8 | Nov. 7 | Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40 (2OT) |
| 9 | Nov. 21 | at Florida State (canceled) |
| 10 | Nov. 28 | Clemson 52, Pittsburgh 17 |
| 11 | Dec. 5 | Clemson 45, Virginia Tech 10 |
| 16 | Dec. 19 | Clemson 34, Notre Dame 10 (ACC championship) |
Ohio State football schedule 2020
| Week | Date | Game |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Ohio State 52, Nebraska 17 |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | Ohio State 35, Penn State 25 |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Ohio State 49, Rutgers 27 |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | at Maryland (canceled) |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | Ohio State 42, Indiana 35 |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | vs. Illinois (canceled) |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | Ohio State 52, Michigan State 12 |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | vs. Michigan (canceled) |
| 16 | Dec. 19 | Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10 (Big Ten championship) |
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.
Friday, Jan. 1
| Bowl | Matchup | Time | TV channel |
| Rose Bowl (AT&T Stadium) | No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Notre Dame | 4 p.m. ET | ESPN, fuboTV |
| Sugar Bowl | No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN, fuboTV |
Monday, Jan. 11
| Bowl | Matchup | Time | TV channel |
| CFP championship game (Hard Rock Stadium) | TBD vs. TBD | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN, fuboTV |
