Not every game can be Ohio State-Southern California. But thankfully, not every game (yet) has become one of those tedious exercises pitting Heavyweight U. against Directional State, either.
Here are six games that, while maybe not monster matchups, are definitely worth a watch for anyone who’s a college football fan.
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1. Auburn at West Virginia, Oct. 23: It’s going to be on a Thursday night, meaning no distractions and everyone can watch as the Mountaineers try for a signature regular-season win and Auburn tries to flourish up north a bit.
2. Kansas at South Florida, Sept. 12: A tasty Friday appetizer for the football bacchanalia to come the following day (headlined by Ohio State vs. USC), this game matches two teams that rose to No. 2 last year before crashing to Earth. It will be easy to write off the loser as a fraud, but both programs seem primed for success this season and beyond.
3. SMU at Texas Tech, Sept. 13: Both coaches consider 40 points to be a perfectly reasonable starting point for an offense. Mike Leach’s Red Raiders should be able to best June Jones in his first year with the Mustangs, though it could take all day.
4. Virginia Tech at Nebraska, Sept. 27: There’s really no reason this should be on the schedule, but here it is. If new Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has had enough time to reform the Cornhuskers’ abominable defense last season, this could be an entertaining matchup for field-position purists.
5. North Carolina at Rutgers, Sept. 11: Get this: A team can prove its bona fides with a win at Rutgers. As recently as four or even three years ago, that statement would be absurd. Now, in 2008, it’s a perfectly logical thing to say. Next: Cats and dogs living together.
6. Wisconsin at Fresno State, Sept. 13. Wisconsin, a dark-horse national-title aspirant, finds itself in a tough, nonconference road game. The Bulldogs haven’t taken down a big-name program in a while, and are loaded on both sides of the ball.
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