Games of the week and honorable mentions for non-conference play
Week 1 Game of the Week: No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta, GA (Aflac Kickoff).
These top-15 teams have defined the college football landscape over the last decade; they have combined for nine CFP appearances, seven championship games, and four championships since 2014.
Few coaches are more identifiable than Kirby Smart and Dabo Sweeney in the college sports world. It is no secret that Clemson’s 2023 season left much to be desired, crashing from a preseason top-10 ranking to their worst ACC in-conference record since 2010 and their first 4-loss season since 2011.
Last season has been the most recent part of their regression from the glory days in the late 2010s with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawerence leading them to a national championship each and CFP appearances in all six years either started.
Part of Clemson’s fall from supremacy has been inconsistent quarterback play; ‘21 starter DJ Uiagaleleli had a negative TD/INT ratio yet saw improvement across the board in ‘22 but transferred out for the ‘23 season meaning it was Sophomore Cade Klubnik’s time to step up.
He hopes to follow in Uiagalelei’s footsteps and see improvement in year two.
However, his first opponent, Georgia, has been nearly perfect over the last three seasons, sporting a 42-2 record and back-to-back national championships with a controversial exclusion from the College Football Playoffs last year.
Senior QB Carson Beck is back for what’s his, albeit with a slightly younger core around him, and their first challenge will be Clemson’s amazing defense as they put their 39-game regular season win streak on the line in the Mercedes-Benz Dome at noon ET on August 31st.
Other Notable Week 1 Match-Ups: No. 19 Miami vs. Florida in Gainesville, FL; No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station, TX; No. 8 Penn State vs. West Virginia in Morgantown, WV; No. 13 LSU vs. No. 23 USC at Allegiant Stadium (Vegas Kickoff Classic)(SUN).
Week 2 Game of the Week: No. 4 Texas v. No. 9 Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.
12 yards is all that separated star Sophomore QB Quinn Ewers and Texas from a date with Michigan on a cold Monday in January for the 2024 National Championship.
However, a valiant Washington defense held them off and took all the glory for themselves. But moments where Texas fell short were infrequent last year, culminating in their best season in 15 years; a win against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a Big 12 Championship, and a trip to the CFP.
They look to build on that success in 2024, despite a vastly different look in Austin compared to 2023 as the Longhorns take on a new challenge: the SEC. However, a new conference opponent might not even hand the Longhorns their first loss of their tenure in the prestigious conference.
Michigan’s season has question marks everywhere after losing their starting QB in JJ McCarthy, starting RB Blake Corum, and most importantly, HC Jim Harbaugh who all moved to the NFL this past off-season. While this will not be HC Sherrone Moore’s first challenge in the Big House, it will be the first real test for Junior QB Alex Orji and Senior RB Don Edwards taking over for McCarthy and Corum respectively in front of 110,000 blue and maize faithful. However, this game will be a much greater challenge for Michigan’s new-look defense, which only returned 47% of production and will have a lot of new pieces. Michigan’s first test in title defense will start at noon ET on September 7th.
Other Notable Week 2 Match-Ups: No. 25 Iowa vs. Iowa State in Iowa City, IA; No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State at Bank of America Stadium (Duke’s Mayo Classic); No. 14 Clemson vs. Appalachian State in Clemson, SC; Arkansas vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK.
Week 3 Game of the Week: No. 21 Arizona vs. No. 18 Kansas State in Manhattan, KS (FRI). Friday Night Lights will shine bright as red-hot Arizona introduces themselves to Big 12 play with an important opener against conference powerhouse, Kansas State.
Arizona’s 2023 bested even the highest expectations in Tuscon, finishing 10-3 (including a 7-game win streak to close the season) and toppling Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
Their biggest loss was HC Jedd Fisch who left for UW in one of the final parts of the Saban retirement chain reaction. His replacement is 2020 MWC Coach of the Year and former San Jose State coach Brent Brennan.
Brennan inherits a great situation in Tuscon, a quarterback on the verge of starhood, Junior Noah Fifita, a high upside RB transfer in Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and an elite WR room including Tetairoa McMillan and AJ Jones. Brennan will have high expectations with his new group in the new look Big 12.
Kansas State was 8-4 last year, although their schedule was much harder in retrospect than it was expected to be last August.
Losses came at the hands of Missouri in Columbia, Oklahoma State in Stillwater, No. 7 Texas in Austin (a really painful OT loss) and Iowa State at home in Manhattan.
K-State has a slightly easier schedule this year and has the upside to improve under promising sophomore QB Avery Johnson. As a freshman, he saw little time on the field due to star QB Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State in January, being ahead of him on the depth chart.
The Wildcat clash starts at 8 pm ET on September 13th
Other Notable Week 3 Match-Ups: No. 1 Georgia vs. Kentucky in Lexington, KY; No. 3 Oregon vs. Oregon State in Corvallis, OR; No. 5 Alabama v. Wisconsin in Madison, WI.