If you’re like me (ie, a big nerd), this is the time of year to start mulling over the upcoming college football schedule and treat yourself to something to look forward to during the dog days of the offseason.
And that’s when you start finding them. No, not the clashes of titans on primetime network television. Not the rivalry games that decide the conference title. I’m talking about the real treasures that make college football the beautiful little freak of a sport we love so much. The games that involve nothing but the two teams involved. The games that shake pride, stir memories and remind us how hard it is to predict the behavior of 18-22 year old college students.
Here are seven games from the upcoming college football season that we think have the best chance of going crazy in the best possible way.
Odds on Tipico sports betting
1 Notre Dame at USC, November 26
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
We have two of the most talked about freshman head coaches, both of whom are hoping to become national recruiting powerhouses to hold their own in a rivalry game. The stakes are high, but both Lincoln Riley and Marcus Freeman have yet to have a chance to build their rosters in their own image. This is the kind of game that reveals weaknesses, highlights great coaching, and can be a top-notch incubator for weirdness.
2 Miami at Clemson, November 19
After a disappointing 2021, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are hoping to bounce back and return to the ACC throne…making this the perfect opportunity for first-year Miami head coach Mario Cristobal to make a splash. Hurricanes DC’s Kevin Steele not only has a great track record as a defensive coordinator in recent years, but also a history with Clemson and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, most recently facing the Tigers when they dismantled his Alabama offense in the 2018 national championship game.
3 Oregon vs. Georgia, September 3
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
After a 41-year drought, this is the year for Georgia fans to finally enjoy being the kings of college football again. A man could quickly put an end to the fun. Is he focused? Is he enjoying his new school? Could he be a dark horse for the Heisman? On September 3rd, former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, now with Oregon, could be college football’s most important player. His penchant for improvisation makes it very likely to be a chaotic affair.
Spread: Georgia -18.5
money line: Georgia (-1100), Oregon (+600)
4 Tennessee at LSU, Oct. 8
Every SEC rivalry has its own quirks and quirks, but the rare meetings between Tennessee and LSU are particularly odd in the past. Tennessee hasn’t clinched a win against the Tigers since Phil Fulmer coached the Vols, but things are looking good in Knoxville and it will take Brian Kelly some time to make his mark on the program in Baton Rouge.
5 BYU in Arkansas, October 15
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
This is one of those games that makes you rub your eyes and do a double take when you first see it on the schedule. One of the most improved and most physical teams in the SEC goes up against a team that has built its identity on physical strength and fearlessness. A team that started Alabama last season versus a team that won 6-1 against Power 5 opponents. With both teams returning their starting QBs from last season, this promises to be a brutal, physical, and potentially high-stakes game.
6 UTSA in Texas, September 17
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Texas eyes are on the home game against Alabama on Sept. 10, but a week later the Longhorns meet another defending conference champion heading to Austin with explosive offense and a truckload of motivation: the UTSA Roadrunners.
After a 12-2 season and a Conference USA title, the UTSA staff were ambushed by larger programs and lost both their offensive coordinator and a co-defensive coordinator. Both coaches have been replaced by assistants already on the program, and while the Roadrunners also have many key players to replace, there’s reason to believe head coach Jeff Traylor has a good thing ahead of him in his third season with the program. Meanwhile, Texas still looks pretty much like the mess Steve Sarkisian was hired to clean up. This should be an easy home win for the Longhorns, who have been slugging it out against the Tide… but… well, meep-meep.
7 Utah Florida, September 3rd
When you’re trying to revitalize a prestigious college football program as the new head coach, you need to avoid some classic pitfalls in your freshman season. For example, never get caught up in a quarterback controversy. Never refuse food from a recruit’s mother. And never, I repeat, NEVER play Utah.
Florida freshman head coach Billy Napier didn’t have that series planned, but he’s got the hell to deal with it, and since this is the Utes’ first regular-season game against an SEC opponent since 1984, you can bet on anyone on the program treats this game with the same importance as the 2008 Sugar Bowl, when the Utes destroyed Alabama. Utah is expected to have one of the best and most experienced defensive lines in college football, and they’ll be licking their chops to fire on a Florida offense that’s still learning about a new playbook and coaching staff.
Spread: Utah (-1.5)
money line: Utah (-120), Florida (-105)
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