(Picture: Los Angeles Times)
– Home Sweet Home: I remember the days when the Clemson Tigers were one of the best teams in the country. This was a group you feared to play. These last few years, you can’t say the same. The Georgia Bulldogs have been one of the best teams in college football. Just as they did in 2021, these two programs will open up the season against one another. I know for a fact Georgia will be playing with a serious chip on their shoulder after missing the playoffs a season ago. This will be a test for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers and if they want to set the tone correctly, what’s a better way than playing the Dawgs? This game will take place in Atlanta which means this will be a home game away from home for Georgia.
– Aggieland: So much has been expected from the Texas A&M Aggies. When they hired Jimbo Fisher, the expectation were sky high and they were hoping he’d bring them a championship just as he did with the Florida State Seminoles. That didn’t happen and the program decided to move in a different direction with the hire of Mike Elko from Duke University. Mike will make his Aggies coaching debut against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Anytime Notre Dame is featured, people will watch and pay attention. This is year three of the Marcus Freeman regime in South Bend. Everything has been there for for Notre Dame. They’ve had strong Offensive Lines, a consistent running game and good defenses. They’ve struggled to get consistency from the Quarterback position. This should be a fun game to watch.
– Vegas Residency: The LSU Tigers and USC Trojans have had their share of Heisman winners. Billy Cannon, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels have all won it representing the Tigers and USC has had Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and most recently, Jayden Daniels. These two will do battle in Las Vegas on a neutral field. Two coaches whose stock took hits in Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly will look to guide their teams back to the national spotlight. Both teams will also have first-year starting Quarterbacks in Garrett Nussmeier and Miller Moss who each have years in their respective offensive systems. Fireworks are expected in this one.
– Real Big: I’m beyond excited for this one. When the Texas Longhorns are good, I feel the sport of college football is at its highest peak. They won the Big-12 last season and made their first appearance in the College Football Playoff where they fell short to the Washington Huskies. The Michigan Wolverines were dominant last year and won their first National Title since 1997. These two programs will do battle and Michigan will enter this game with the nation’s longest winning streak. I can’t wait to see Quinn Ewers against this Michigan defense. This could be a resume builder for the winner of this game when the first set of CFP rankings are released. The winner of this one will be in great shape, while the loser will have a slim margin for error the remainder of the season.
– Let’s Go Camping: Eyes will be on the Alabama Crimson Tide, but not for the reason many think. Yes, they’ve been so successful this last decade and you could also pencil them in to win their division and their name would be called for the playoffs. A new chapter will begin for this program this year as Kalen DeBour takes over for Nick Saban who announced his retirement in January. Kalen will lead his new team into Madison, Wisconsin for a showdown against Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers. These are two of the more physical teams in the country and I can’t wait to see the Wisconsin ground game against this Crimson Tide defense. Camp Randall will be alive and rocking for this game.
– A Good Tide: The Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs just can’t get away from one another. They’ve met in two National Championships and a few SEC conference championship games. This game was always must-see tv during the Saban era and now, Kalen DeBour will get a taste of this rivalry. This will be the first big test for Kalen and the Crimson Tide against a Georgia team who will be seeking revenge as Alabama defeated them in the conference title game a year ago and that eliminated Georgia from making the playoffs. This could be that tone setter for the SEC and this conference will continue to travel through these two programs until others compete in the SEC.
– A New Chapter: The landscape of college football will be much different in the fall of 2024. Many teams did shuffling and got themselves into another conference. One move that had been talked about for a few years was the Texas Longhorns making that jump to the SEC after years of being in the Big-12. Now, we will see who they are and what they’re made of when they welcome Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs to Austin for a big time showdown. Quinn will have another tough test against this defense that will throw many different looks at him. If Texas wants to establish themselves as a contender in the SEC, what’s a better way with the Dawgs coming to town?
– Another One: Ohio State and Penn State has been one of my favorite matchups to talk about and preview the last few years and the games aren’t disappointing either. They met last year and Ohio State did just enough to escape a Nittany Lions scare. This year, they will meet in Happy Valley and it will be the annual “white out game”. This could be one of those games that could eliminate a team from being in contention in the Big Ten. Can James Franklin win a big game? He can beat everyone else in the Big Ten, but struggles against Ohio State and Michigan. If you want to get anywhere in the conference, these are the games you must win.
– Saban Bowl: When it comes to Alabama and LSU, the winner of this game has reached the SEC Championship in the last six seasons, so my question is why would this year be any different? Saban maybe gone, but this game will still be one to watch this year and it will take place in Baton Rouge this time. Brian Kelly was the rookie Head Coach in this matchup a few years ago and got his statement win over the Tide in an overtime thriller. Now, Kalen DeBour will get a taste of a bitter SEC rivalry and the road to Atlanta will look a lot brighter for the winner while the loser will be in a hole.
– The Game(s) We Play: Now, you all knew this was going to be talked about. The Ohio State Buckeyes once dominated the rivalry against the Michigan Wolverines. Then came 2021 and since then, everything has been in Michigan’s favor and each time they’ve won, they’ve advanced to the Big Ten title game. This is the greatest rivalry in our sport as we speak and as always, these two will end the regular season with potentially a trip to Indy on the line. The Buckeyes haven’t beat Michigan since 2019 and will be angry after dropping the last three games against them. They will enter this game with all the pressure in the world against them. Michigan will look to extend their winning streak in the rivalry. It’s another edition of the game!
