This is a humble post serving only one purpose to provide our readers with a look at the upcoming college football season and the top games to bookmark on your calendar and inside your mind. Hopefully, I didn’t miss any good ones. I basically scanned the schedules of all the Top 25-ish teams highlighting the best matchups while throwing in some Group of 5 love, too.
As always, the LSUFootball.net TV schedule is a national treasure that you should save. If only we could get it to display in eastern time zone!
Italics represents non-league games.
September
Thursday 9/2
Ohio State at Minnesota
Boise State at UCF
Saturday 9/4
Georgia vs. Clemson [Charlotte]
Alabama vs. Miami [Atlanta]
Penn State at Wisconsin
Indiana at Iowa
Louisiana at Texas
Saturday 9/11
Oregon at Ohio State
Washington at Michigan
Iowa at Iowa State
Appalachian State at Miami
Stanford at USC
Utah at BYU
Saturday 9/18
Auburn at Penn State
Alabama at Florida
Cincinnati at Indiana
Oklahoma State at Boise State
Arizona State at BYU
Saturday 9/25
Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin [Chicago]
NC State at Clemson
Toledo at Ball State
October
Saturday 10/2
Auburn at LSU
Indiana at Penn State
Michigan at Wisconsin
Texas at TCU
Oregon at Stanford
Cincinnati at Notre Dame
Saturday 10/9
Georgia at Auburn
Alabama at Texas A&M
Penn State at Iowa
Oklahoma vs. Texas [Dallas]
Utah at USC
Boise State at BYU
Ball State at Western Michigan
Tuesday 10/12
Appalachian State at Louisiana
Saturday 10/16
Florida at LSU
Oklahoma State at Texas
Miami vs. North Carolina
Arizona State at Utah
UCF at Cincinnati
Wednesday 10/20
Coastal Carolina at Appalachian State
Saturday 10/23
Ohio State at Indiana
Oklahoma State at Iowa State
USC at Notre Dame
Western Michigan at Toledo
Saturday 10/30
Ole Miss at Auburn
Florida vs. Georgia [Jacksonville]
Penn State at Ohio State
Iowa at Wisconsin
North Carolina at Notre Dame
November
Friday 11/5
Utah at Stanford
Saturday 11/6
LSU at Alabama
Indiana at Michigan
Iowa State at Texas
Oregon at Washington
Liberty at Ole Miss
Saturday 11/13
Michigan at Penn State
TCU at Oklahoma State
Arizona State at Washington
Saturday 11/20
Iowa State at Oklahoma
Oregon at Utah
Louisiana at Liberty
Friday 11/26
TCU at Iowa State
NC State at North Carolina
Saturday 11/27
Alabama at Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU
Ohio State at Michigan
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
BYU at USC
*****
The Top 5 Games of the Year
#5 Oregon at Ohio State
Perhaps an early season look at the Rose Bowl this year? For some (not me, re Oregon) these are the conference favorites in the Pac-12 and Big Ten. This should be the 2nd best out-of-conference game in 2021.
#4 Alabama at Florida
Maybe it makes sense given Alabama’s dominance this century but Florida has been pretty good most of the time, too. Still, the Tide have won 7 straight in this series, although this will be just the 2nd trip to Gainesville over the last 15 seasons!
#3 Alabama at Texas A&M
LSU and Ole Miss visiting Tuscaloosa or the Iron Bowl at Auburn look to be the only options to debate a loss for Alabama this year. I doubt the Tide lose at home where they’ve only been defeated once out of their last 38 games (to eventual National Champion LSU). If the Aggies defense lives up to its billing things could get interesting here.
#2 Iowa State at Oklahoma
These teams have played 86 times stretching back to the first meeting in 1928. Iowa State won that first meeting as well as the 4th meeting, too. Since then, Oklahoma has won 75 times and only lost 5 times. However, 2 of those 5 losses have come from the hands of Matt Campbell’s Cyclones, including 2017’s win in Norman. This could decide the Big 12, and maybe if the league is lucky, a playoff spot.
#1 Georgia vs. Clemson
The biggest game of the season in Week 1, sheesh! Neither can win it all here but can they throw their season away with a loss? Maybe not so much for Georgia who will get plenty more opportunities in the SEC (especially if we include the SEC Championship). Clemson may very well never play another ranked team during the regular season and would have to pray North Carolina or Miami go on to terrific seasons and meet them in the ACC Championship.
My 5 Must-Watch Games
#5 Louisiana at Liberty
In recent years, the top Group of 5 game would come from the American Conference. This year, you may have to look no further than a Sun Belt member and an independent team. This comes very late in the season (November 20th) so both programs will have to survive a few challenges along the way to keep a high profile for this game.
#4 Ohio State at Michigan
Witnessing the pain in the eyes of Michigan fans is a time honored tradition.
#3 Miami at North Carolina
Neither of these teams face Clemson during the regular season. You have to think the winner of this game will earn the right to face Clemson for the league title. Then again, it’s the ACC and things could get a little ugly.
#2 Ohio State at Indiana
I’m hoping Indiana is the fun team that most of the country gets behind this year but it won’t be easy. They’ll travel to Iowa and Penn State while hosting Cincinnati before they even get to play this game against Ohio State. If the Hoosiers can somehow come in 6-0 just lock in GameDay and let’s go.
#1 Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin is coming with Civil War-honored uniforms, Notre Dame is coming with Green Bay Packers-honored Chicago-honored uniforms, it’s at Soldier Field, and Notre Dame’s new quarterback used to play for the Badgers. It’s going to be good.
Curious who is your favorite in the pac-12, just the field?
Some bleak slates in their for 9/25 and 10/23. ND wisocnsin seems like a lock for game day and obviously fox noon show
I bet it will still be Clemson-NC State. Clemson-UGA should be featured in Week 1, but then there’s probably not another Clemson game to feature, right? Can’t see ESPN getting too excited about hyping up a game on another network for a 12pm kickoff. Also, happens that ND’s next 3 (UC, UNC, USC) biggest games are all at home, so no Game Day crews working the booth, either.
Also, very curious what your edit was, as Wisconsin is still misspelled and you used the wrong form of there
Changed seems to some. Didn’t quite proofread it clearly but your** on it. Good looking out
I truly wasn’t razzing, just wanted to know what did/did not catch your eye
Gotcha, thanks for saying something. My only defenses, was on my phone and edit looks weird plus posted at about 642 which is when the kiddos get up so everything is rushed.
Anyways, surprised any favorites in pac-12. UDub played what 4 games last year? Just know I’ll be rooting for them week 2
We all have our blind spots.