College Football has a lot of games every single week. My goal with this article is to help people who only want to view the must-watch games every week. Most of this is speculative, but the goal is to help direct you to games that will impact CFP or Conference Title races. I am also hoping to include fun rivalries in these articles.

 

Week 0:

Must-Watch:

• August 29th, 12 pm EST, UNC vs TCU (ESPN)

The Aer Lingus Classic in Ireland will include the year 2 debut of Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Heels will be led by 6th-year senior Billy Edwards from Wisconsin in a game in which Belichick looks to start better than last season. The TCU Horned Frogs, led by Harvard QB Jaden Craig, have a good look to make a run in the Big 12 and look to start the season with a nice Non-Conference win overseas. This game is always a fun one to kick off the season, and the vibes are so high with CFB officially being back

• August 29th, 3:30 pm EST, NC State @ Virginia (ESPN)

A strange story, but a game happening nonetheless. After being moved back to the states from Brazil, Virginia will host NC State in a great matchup for who can take the first punch in a lackluster ACC. Behind CJ Bailey, NC State has a solid shot to make a bowl game, and with upsets could be playing for an ACC title. Virginia, after falling just short last year look to take the final step to the throne in the ACC.

 

Other Contenders:

• August 29th, 3 pm EST, San Jose St, @ #14 USC (NBC)

Only ranked team playing this Week 0. Should be a really exciting offensive showcase for both teams!

• August 29th, 10 pm EST, Memphis @ UNLV (FOX)

Some non-Power 5 games to end the night, and this one almost made the list for must-watch. I will say I think both of these teams could end the season ranked, and this could be a massive game to decide if either of these teams is cut out for the Group of 5 slot in the CFP. One to check out with Dan Mullen still at the helm in Vegas and Memphis always fielding a good team in the AAC.

 

Week 1:

Must-Watch:

• September 3rd, 8 pm EST, Colorado @ Georgia Tech (ESPN)

This game is fun every single year. A lot less juice than years prior, but a great game to have on a Thursday night to begin the first official week of football. Colorado, still led by Coach Prime, will start 5-star recruit Julien Lewis in his first full season as a starter. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, will be looking to start the next era without Haynes King and will enter the Alberto Mendoza era. Will be an interesting game to watch and should be a good non-conference battle.

• September 5th 7:30 pm EST, Clemson @ #11 LSU (ABC)

The big dog of Week 1 of CFB. LSU will be led by new QB Sam Leavitt into a new Kiffin era of Tiger football. The other Tigers will look to prove something in this game… Dabo is still our guy. Whichever team prevails will have a huge impact on both teams' success moving forward in the season. A loss in Week 1 for either team could derail a lot more than 1 season.

• September 5th, 10:30 pm EST, UCLA @ California (ESPN)

I truly believe both of these teams are sleepers to be very good. Nico is back for UCLA and should be much better under a solid coaching staff this season. California can always pull upsets, and in an extremely weak ACC, I think this team with the right combination could contend. This win or loss would be very important in either way, and it is a fun rivalry in California.

• September 6th, 4 pm EST, Washington St. @ #17 Washington (NBC)

Rivalry matchup in Week 1… is this heaven? Apple Cup Week 1 and we are in Husky Stadium for the matchup. Desmond Williams, after all of the transfer drama, is still at Washington and is looking to lead the Huskies to a good season with hopes of contending for a top-heavy Big Ten. Washington St., after finding new friends to join the Pac-12 look to be a potential frontrunner for the new Pac-12 title.

• September 6th, 7:30 pm EST, #24 Louisville vs #9 Ole Miss (ABC)

This should be a fun one. Trinidad Chambliss showed the world why he should be a Heisman contender if he could get another year, and after a battle, Golding and Chambliss are back to lead the Ole Miss team back to promise land. Louisville, being in the ACC, is a contender, but truly should be able to cruise there with a win here as it would propel them to have a great win to start their campaign.

 

Other Contenders:

• September 5th, 12 pm EST, Liberty @ James Madison (ESPN U)

This is another Group of 5 matchup which could have some larger impact on the CFP race depending on how the season shakes out. James Madison is always a contender when it comes to this, but Liberty is also. James Madison is projected to finish at the top of the Sun Belt and Liberty at the top of CUSA. Should be interesting to see who can start 1-0 vs 0-1, which could be the difference in a tight race like this season will be.

• September 5th, 3:30 pm EST, Boise State @ #2 Oregon (CBS)

I don’t think this one will be close, but it could be. Boise State is always a Group of 5 contender, and Oregon is a program that, for me, is a top 4 title contender. Watch out for a close matchup, which could happen if Oregon slips out of the gate.

• September 5th, 3:30 pm EST, Baylor vs Auburn (ABC)

Just a fun non-conference matchup. Will also be interesting to see Alex Golesh coaching for the Tigers in his first matchup since his hiring from USF.

• September 5th, 10 pm EST, UNLV @ Hawai’i (CW)

I did not put the Hawai’i game in Week 0, but also coming into the season they are a dark horse for the Group of 5 slot, and this could be the win they need to push themselves into position to take it. If Dan Mullen and UNLV can win both, I think his team could be a low-20s ranked team in the country.

• September 6th, 7:30 pm EST, Wisconsin vs #4 Notre Dame (NBC)

This game will not be close, but it is at Lambeau Field at night, which should bring a lot of Wisconsin fans out to watch their team get probably blown out.

 

Any ranked team should be fun to watch. Just getting to see these teams play should give us an idea of what we should be seeing from them. Maybe a new star comes out firing, or Heisman contenders begin to show their cards. Week 1 always shows us a little from each team if you look through the high-scoring mess they normally are!