College Football Playoff Semifinal 2021: Time, Channel and How to Watch Alabama vs. Cincinnati

The College Football Playoff begins today. The first semifinal game will be the Cotton Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Cincinnati Bearcats. Today's game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET at ESPN. It will also stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN App. 

Alabama (12-1) started the season as the No. 1 team in the country. But in the middle of the season, the Crimson Tide lost to Texas A&M, which led to the Georgia Bulldogs taking over the No. 1 spot. Alabama has gone on a run since the loss and defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship to get back to being the top team in the country. The team is led by quarterback Bryce Young who won the Heisman Trophy earlier this month. 

"I think he's got tremendous command of the offense, really understands the offense," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said to reporters this week, per 247Sports. "Can really help implement things, whether it's protections, running plays, reading the defense, making fast, instinctive decisions as to where he throws the ball. And he throws it very accurately. And he's made steady progress in that throughout the year."

Cincinnati (13-0) made history by being the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff. Of the four teams in the playoffs, Cincinnati is the only undefeated team, and the team's only loss the last two seasons was against Georgia in the Peach Bowl in January. Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell has turned the program around in a big way. After a 4-8 season in 2017, Fickell has only lost six games in the last four years.

"It's been a long time coming, that's the unique thing about having three-and-a-half weeks or so," Fickell said, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Not just to prepare but to kind of get everything ready for this incredible opportunity that our guys have given us is finally coming to that point. I know our guys are excited. I know our guys have been preparing and thinking about this for quite a while and are really, really excited."  

Another thing to note about this game is Goodyear recently announced a multiyear agreement with the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association renewing its sponsorship of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. "Much like the Cotton Bowl, Goodyear has long been connected to college football by enhancing the gameday experience, whether it's through aerial coverage from the blimp or the larger-than-life tire art statues" Todd Macsuga, general manager, Brand Marketing, Goodyear North America, said in a statement. "This agreement is a continuation of our commitment to the sport and allows us to celebrate the drive it takes to compete in college football's biggest matchups for years to come."