Thursday marked the 100-day mark to the 2021 season, the most anticipated in recent memory. If you've spent any time on social media, you may have noticed your favorite program dropping a graphic and/or video to mark the occasion.
ESPN got in on the fun by dropping its full schedule for the first few weeks. The biggest games were previously set, but now we've got the whole darn thing. You can click over to the announcement to find the full schedule, but here are the highlights (all times ET):
Week 0:
The official launch of the 2021 campaign will be Hawaii at UCLA at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28. The nightcap will be the MEAC/SWAC Kickoff Challenge pitting Alcorn State vs. North Carolina Central from Atlanta at 7.
Labor Day Weekend:
ESPN gives us five days of football, beginning with UAB vs. Jacksonville State in the Montgomery Kickoff on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 2 -- the "official" unofficial kickoff, which always featured a South Carolina game back in the day -- will be Boise State at UCF at 7 p.m. on ESPN. ESPNU gives us East Carolina vs. Appalachian State in the Duke's Mayo Classic in Charlotte at 7:30. South Florida at NC State air at the same on ACC Network, and at 8 we have the kickoff of the Josh Heupel era with Bowling Green at Tennessee. (Not mentioned by ESPN for obvious reasons, Fox kicks off its own schedule with Ohio State at Minnesota at 8.)
On Friday we have North Carolina at Virginia Tech at 6 on ESPN and Michigan State at Northwestern at 9.
Saturday, Sept. 4 gives us a plate so full it's overflowing. I'll break it down by each TV window, with non-ESPN networks thrown in where applicable:
Noon
Oklahoma at Tulane -- ABC
Western Michigan at Michigan -- ESPN
Army at Georgia State -- ESPNU
Penn State at Wisconsin -- Fox
Afternoon
Alabama vs. Miami (at Atlanta) -- ABC
West Virginia at Maryland -- ESPN
Louisiana at Texas -- Fox
Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State -- ESPNU
Primetime
Texas Tech vs. Houston (at Houston) -- ESPN
Clemson vs. Georgia (at Charlotte) -- ABC
LSU at UCLA -- Fox
BYU vs. Arizona (at Las Vegas) -- ESPN, Pac12AfterDark
We're not done yet! Sunday, Sept. 5 gives us Jackson State vs. Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic in Miami at 3 p.m. on ESPN2, Fort Valley State vs. Tuskegee in the Red Tails Classic in Montgomery at 7 p.m. on ESPNU, and Notre Dame at Florida State on ABC at 7:30.
Finally, the 5-day extravaganza ends with Louisville vs. Ole Miss from Atlanta at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
For Week 2 and beyond we'll lay out each TV window so you can get your channel-changing fingers in shape ahead of time.
Week 2 (Sept. 11):
Noon
Florida at South Florida -- ABC
Pitt at Tennessee -- ESPN
South Carolina at East Carolina -- ESPN2
Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota -- ESPNU
Ohio State at Oregon -- Fox
Afternoon
Iowa at Iowa State -- ABC
Air Force at Navy -- CBS
UAB at Georgia -- ESPN2
Cal at TCU -- ESPNU
Primetime
Texas at Arkansas -- ESPN
Appalachian State at Miami -- ESPN2/U
NC State at Mississippi State -- ESPN2/U
Washington at Michigan -- ABC
Utah at BYU -- ESPN, Pac12AfterDark
UNLV at Arizona State -- ESPN2, Pac12AfterDark
Week 3 (Sept. 18):
Noon
Nebraska at Oklahoma -- Fox
Michigan State at Miami -- ABC/ESPN
Cincinnati at Indiana -- ABC/ESPN
Boston College at Temple -- ESPN2/U
Coastal Carolina at Buffalo -- ESPN2/U
Afternoon
Alabama at Florida -- CBS
Georgia Tech at Clemson -- ABC/ESPN
Florida State at Wake Forest -- ABC/ESPN
Primetime
South Carolina at Georgia -- ESPN
Auburn at Penn State -- ABC
Tulane at Ole Miss -- ESPN2
Stanford at Vanderbilt -- ESPNU
Arizona State at BYU -- ESPN, Pac12AfterDark
The certainty of the schedule falls off from there, but we do get Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame from Soldier Field in Fox's Big Noon Kickoff window on Saturday, Sept. 25.
Now if it's okay with you I'm going to go rest my typing fingers and take a three-month nap. See y'all in football season. It can't get here soon enough.