Poll: What Week 1 Game Most Excites You?

Feel that? College football is close. Very close. Seven arduous months have elapsed since the confetti was dropped on Alabama, capping the 2011 season. Today, we are just three weeks from the kickoff of 2012, a season that begins with a bang.

Several high profiles match-ups make Week 1 all the more exciting.

South Carolina at Vanderbilt 

The last game of the 2011 season pit two SEC opponents against one another, so perhaps it’s only fitting 2012 begins the same way. Last year, the tenacious Gamecock defense held Vanderbilt to just three points in a 21-3 South Carolina win. The Commodore offense improved later in the season though, and VU opens 2012 with lofty aspirations.

Washington State at BYU

Poetic justice is Mike Leach making his return to college football on a Thursday night ESPN broadcast with no Craig James in the broadcast booth. Leach is also returning to the university that launched his career. BYU was one of the strongest finishers last season, but must navigate a treacherous schedule that starts against Leach’s uptempo WSU offense. A win sets a significant tone for the remainder of the campaign for both these Cougars.

Boise State at Michigan State

Chris Petersen’s Davids get another chance to take down a BCS conference Goliath. The Broncos opened the last three seasons with wins over Oregon, Virginia Tech and Georgia, but Kellen Moore was starting under center for those three. BSU begins a new era without the winningest quarterback in collegiate history against one of the best defenses in the nation.

Tennessee vs. NC State

NC State capped 2011 strong to finish with eight wins, and returns a lineup capable of a surprise run at the ACC title. The Pack’s conference plays a decided second fiddle to its regional neighbor, the SEC. Aside from winning the ACC, there’s little else NCSU supporters would want than bragging rights against an SEC foe. UT is seeking a turnaround after a disappointing 5-7 finish. Tyler Bray against the greedy NCSU secondary is one of the most intriguing games-within-the-game of Week 1.

Clemson vs. Auburn

Another SEC vs. ACC showdown in Atlanta, these Tigers have seen each other in the previous two seasons and split those decisions. Though the CU-AU rivalry goes much further back into the annals of football history than 2010, this installment is a rubber match of sorts.

The two played in Atlanta last in 2007 and AU won a 23-20 overtime thriller. Should the Tigers replicate that match-up, fans are in for a memorable night.

Michigan vs. Alabama

The Dallas Palace plays host to the Week 1 primetime showcase once again, and like last season pairs two teams with legitimate BCS championship aspirations. LSU launched its run to New Orleans last year with a rout of Oregon, proving that night that an aggressive defense trumps an explosive offense. Alabama’s title defense begins with a similar challenge ahead of it, the Tide’s vaunted defense tasked with squashing the Heisman hopes of Denard Robinson early.

UM is no defensive slouch itself though, last year flexing its muscles en route to an 11-win campaign. The Wolverines will prove formidable to an offense undergoing change with the loss of Heisman finalist running back Trent Richardson.

Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech 

A perfect cap to a day of swimming pools and barbecues is the Labor Day primetime broadcast, which ACC has long called its own. The Battle of the Techs features one of the top offenses of a season ago, against a perennial top rated defense. However, the story of this may not be the Yellow Jacket triple option offense against the Hokie defense. Eyes will be on Va. Tech quarterback Logan Thomas, whose talent has drawn favorable comparisons to Cam Newton.

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Which match-up on the opening weekend slate piques your interest? If some other contest is your most anticipated, sound off in the comments.