College football: Top 15 non-conference games die-hard fans deserve

Aug 30, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban leads his team on to the field at the start of the 2014 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

This match-up nearly happened in the inaugural College Football Playoff, but we’d sure love to see the Ducks travel to Alabama or vice-versa. Neutral site games are fun, but considering the raucous game day atmospheres of Autzen Stadium and Bryant-Denny Stadium, a home-and-home series would have fans glued to their televisions.

Oregon and Alabama have been two of the most consistently elite programs in recent seasons, as the Ducks have appeared in two national title games and the Crimson Tide have brought home three national titles. Unfortunately for fans, despite of all of this success during the same time frame, these schools still haven’t faced off yet.

The Ducks got a crack at Auburn and LSU in 2011 and Tennessee in 2013, but only have one SEC game lined up for future seasons: against Auburn in Texas in 2019. Alabama, meanwhile, has not played any Pac-12 teams recently and only has one opponent from the conference scheduled: USC in 2016.

Oregon has proven it has the foundation for continued success after the departure of ex-head coach Chip Kelly to the NFL, and Alabama figures to be elite as long as Nick Saban is handling head coaching duties. Given their recent scheduling history, Alabama would seem unlikely to play this game if it wasn’t at a neutral site, but as long as we’re dreaming, Alabama at Oregon sounds like one of the best non-conference games we can hope for.

Next: Texas A&M vs. Texas