2021 Sugar Bowl

2021 Allstate Sugar Bowl
College Football Playoff Semifinal
87th Sugar Bowl
1234 Total
Ohio State 142177 49
Clemson 14077 28
DateJanuary 1, 2021
Season2020
StadiumMercedes-Benz Superdome
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
MVPOffensive:
Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State)
Defensive:
Tuf Borland (LB, Ohio State)
FavoriteClemson by 7[1]
RefereeDavid Alvarez (Big 12)[2]
Attendance3,000
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN and ESPN Radio
AnnouncersESPN: Chris Fowler (play-by-play)
Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)
Maria Taylor and Tom Rinaldi (sidelines)
ESPN Radio: Sean Kelley and Barrett Jones
Nielsen ratings(19.15 million viewers)[3]
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes
ESPN Brasil
AnnouncersESPN Brasil:
Matheus Pinheiro (play-by-play)
Weinny Eirado (analyst)
Sugar Bowl
 < 2020  2022 (Jan.)
2 vs. 3 Seed CFP Semifinal Game
 < 2019 Fiesta 2021 Orange

The 2021 Sugar Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2021, with kickoff at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. local CST).[4] The Sugar Bowl was one of two College Football Playoff semifinal games, it featured two of the four teams selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee—Ohio State from the Big Ten and Clemson from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Rose Bowl, Alabama, in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. It was the 87th edition of the Sugar Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by insurance provider Allstate, the game was officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The game was carried by ESPN, with its lead college football broadcast team of Chris Fowler on play-by-play and Kirk Herbstreit on color commentary. Three days before the game, Herbstreit announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would work the game from his home.[5]

  1. ^ "Ohio State-Clemson odds". Oddsshark. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Austro, Ben (December 23, 2020). "2020-21 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  3. ^ "CFP semis hit New Year's Day low, but top non-NFL events in year". www.sportsmediawatch.com. Sports Media Watch. January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  4. ^ "College Football Bowl Schedule | 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "ESPN star Kirk Herbstreit to call Clemson-Ohio State from home after getting COVID". New York Post. December 29, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.