There is no time like the present to talk about the upcoming football season. A College GameDay announcement here, a TV time there. As we stare into the doldrums of the offseason chock full of high-minded rhetoric about the future of the NCAA and all the hand-wringing about NIL you can stand, it can be hard to remember that this is about actual games. They may be a long way off, but to look forward to September, here’s a list of games we can’t wait to see and why.
Week 1
Notre Dame at Ohio State
The Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame wastes no time heating up in one of the best “helmet games” we’ve seen in a while—and the site of Week 1’s aforementioned College GameDay. Golden Domes vs. Silver Bullets, and the Fighting Irish get to test their mettle against the Buckeyes’ seemingly endless offensive firepower.
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Georgia vs. Oregon (in Atlanta)
There’ll be familiarity in Atlanta when the defending champions open with the Ducks as former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning takes over in Eugene. Georgia’s defense will have a new look on the field as well as on the sideline in 2023. And if transfer QB Bo Nix starts for the Ducks, the Dawgs will see a familiar face under center.
Florida State vs. LSU (in New Orleans)
Good luck making a prediction on this game, but it will be fun to see these two get together on a Sunday night in New Orleans. Week 1 always has huge unknowns, but what Brian Kelly’s LSU program will be is a true mystery on one side. On the other, the Seminoles are also looking for an identity, especially on offense in Year 3 under Mike Norvell.
Cincinnati at Arkansas
The Bearcats will have to retool after losing standouts Desmond Ridder, Coby Bryant, and Sauce Gardner to the NFL draft, but if Cincy is to become the new Boise State and run the Group of 5 for the foreseeable future under Luke Fickell, an SEC statement win to open the season would be a great start. A Group of 5 College Football Playoff résumé needs a Power 5 win on it, as the Bearcats showed last season. The march to a potential third straight undefeated regular season has an interesting start.
Army at Coastal Carolina
One team (Army) runs the old-school option, and another runs the new-school variant. Both make for compelling scheme watches for in-the-know football fans on their own. Thankfully, this nonconference tilt puts them together—and you’ll note that Coastal is 21–2 in its last two regular seasons.
Week 2
Alabama at Texas
One of the myriad former Nick Saban assistants to leave the program and get a head coaching job is UT’s Steve Sarkisian. Saban entered 2022 undefeated against those assistants—then Kirby Smart’s Georgia and Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M broke the streak. Is Sark’s Texas up to the task to make it three in a calendar year?
Week 3
Penn State at Auburn
With Ohio State getting the hype and Michigan coming off a Playoff run, the Nittany Lions are flying under the radar. They’ll head to the Plains for the return trip of a home-and-home series to face an Auburn team whose coach, Bryan Harsin, could really use this win.
Oklahoma at Nebraska
Last year’s matchup of these two teams was unexpectedly heated and unexpectedly close. There will be new blood for this old feud in 2023 as Brent Venables takes over.
Miami at Texas A&M
For different reasons, these two programs need statement wins. For Miami: It’s a new era with a new coach (Mario Cristobal) and a promising quarterback (Tyler Van Dyke). For A&M, it’s likely to enter the season as a dark-horse darling to make the Playoff. Alabama looms as usual later on for the Aggies, but beating Miami in Week 3 could set an early tone.
Georgia at South Carolina
Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks surprised last year, finishing 7–5. An early-season tilt against Georgia with new quarterback Spencer Rattler will be a huge measuring stick for where South Carolina stands in Year 2 against the current division standard.
