Top 15 Non-Conference College Football Games to Watch This Year

Oct 18, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong (C) reacts against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

13. Texas Longhorns at Notre Dame Fighting Irish; Saturday, Sept. 5

Charlie Strong dealt with a number of major issues last year in his inaugural season with the Texas Longhorns, including injuries, suspensions, and dismissals at a very high rate.

Despite a terrible bowl game loss, things appear to have stabled out some. And now drama is hitting Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The end result could be a game much closer than many think. We already want to gauge how far along Texas has come under Strong. We also want to see, particularly without Everett Golson, if Notre Dame can fight its way into the national championship or College Football Playoff conversation.

A blowout either way could spell doom for that team for the season, as it starts things on an extremely bad note. A win would obviously be great for either team, but it would be a moment of elation for Texas, giving credence to the idea that the Longhorns are on the way back under Strong.

And in a general sense, two major and historical college football programs going at it is something we always want to see, regardless of what state they are in at the time.

Next: #12: Notre Dame at Stanford