The most meaningful game in each Power 4 college football conference in 2024
By Austin Lloyd
College football is set to take quite the turn next season, whether it be due to the foreign conference setups the new Power Four has in store for us, or some of the nation’s top teams entering eras that are frighteningly uncertain.
Though that undoubtedly leaves some scared for the futures of both their team and CFB as a whole, most fans can likely agree it amounts to something that, while perhaps intimidating in some regards, embodies the chaos the sport is all about.
With that said, there should be even less predictability than usual this year, and that means the season’s biggest games should be even more noteworthy — but which ones in particular? Let’s find out.
Here are my picks for the most meaningful game in each Power Four conference in 2024.
ACC: Clemson at Florida State (Oct. 5)
This game should need little explanation, as it’s between the ACC’s two top football programs, one of which is coming off of a 13-1 season that included a perfect conference record, while the other is looking to preserve a dynasty that has haunted all of the Atlantic Coast for the last decade.
But, despite how easy it may be to glorify them, there are still multiple question marks floating around both parties heading into their 2024 meeting, ranging from the plethora of talent Florida State lost to the fact that Clemson finished with its worst record (9-4) since 2010.
Also, of the 13 wins the 2023 Seminoles got, theirs over Clemson was the only one they truly felt “lucky” to get (yes, Boston College gave them a scare as well, but even that game saw the ‘Noles garner as much as a three-touchdown lead at one point).
These factors place the ACC’s future in far shakier hands, making the matchup mean all the more in deciding who will lead the conference’s charge going forward.
Will Florida State prove that its dominant 2023 campaign wasn’t a fluke, or will the Tigers once again reclaim the league’s crown as swiftly as they lost it? Either way, it’ll surely be worth the watch.