Chance The Rapper once said, “And we back! And we back! And we back!” and the glorious return of college football is no different. The annual fall drama returns better than ever with all your favorite characters and a plot twist like no other, the College Football Playoff. Here are five regular season games to keep an eye on as the magnificent wave rolls its way into bracket form.
1) Sept. 6, Michigan State at Oregon
Schools are listening to the notion that strength of schedule matters. No longer will there be complaining of who got left out of the title game. That griping will now take the shape of who got left out of the playoff. The same moaning from the third place team will now be shifted down to the fifth place team and the world keeps turning.
With that in mind, a boost in strength of schedule might be the difference between fourth and fifth when the regular season is over, and defending Rose Bowl champion Michigan State and Nike runway model Oregon are listening.
The Spartans head to Autzen Stadium under the helm of returning quarterback Connor Cook, who put up 2,755 yards last season as well as 22 touchdowns. The offense around him will look very similar to last year’s Big Ten conquering campaign featuring star tailback Jeremy Langford and most of last year’s receiver corps.
The Spartan defense is a different story with four starters off to the NFL. They still return defensive end Shilique Calhoun who will be critical in pressuring Oregon’s quarterback and potential Heisman candidate Marcus Mariota.
The Ducks bring a high-flying offense about as frequently as the IRS mails out tax refunds. Saying they’re going to score is a given. But recently, the Duck’s potent offensive attack has been held in check by overly physical teams like Stanford and last season’s Arizona.
Look for the stiff Spartan defense to punish the finesse of the Oregon attack. One more thing to keep an eye on, Oregon lost starting left tackle Tyler Johnstone to an ACL tear. The Spartans’ path to Mariota just got a little easier.
2) Oct. 4, Stanford at Notre Dame
Last year’s dramatic Rose Bowl losers, Stanford looks to make it three straight conference championships in 2014. It returns standout quarterback Kevin Hogan and most of their offense apart from bruising running back Tyler Gaffney, now a New England Patriot.
Stanford’s crushing defense was also depleted by the NFL draft but this is not the first time the team has lost so many key players. The Cardinal has been proving skeptics wrong for a while now and a skid seems almost impossible. That explains the preseason No. 11 ranking.
Stanford’s gauntlet Pac-12 schedule is broken up with a trip to South Bend to take on a very intriguing Notre Dame team. Depending on your level of optimism, the Irish could finish anywhere between 11-2 and 4-7. Regardless, they somehow earned a No. 17 preseason ranking in both the AP and coaches polls.
Returning from suspension after an undefeated regular season, Everett Golson will be passing from the golden domes again during Brian Kelly’s sixth season at Notre Dame. Golson is returning after missing last season for academic violations. Four other Notre Dame players are facing allegations of similar activity.
Notre Dame’s defense will be anchored by linebacker Jaylon Smith who made impressive strides last season as a freshman.
The matchup with Stanford should be a great physical contest and we’ll be in for a treat if it’s half as good as their controversial overtime classic from 2012.
3) Oct. 11, Oklahoma vs. Texas
The early kickoff, the stadium split 50-50 at midfield, the Texas State Fair and the best rivalry in college football can only be described in three words: Red River Shootout.
The Sooners enter this year on a fabulous high following a dramatic win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl behind quarterback Trevor Knight. If Knight plays as well as he did in the Sugar Bowl all season, the Sooners have a chance to run the table in the Big 12, but that’s one big if.
The Sooners were plagued last season by inconsistent quarterback play, but Knight’s promise has expectations soaring in Norman. Another Sugar Bowl standout, linebacker Eric Striker, hopes to lead the Sooner defense to a Big 12 title.
The annual showdown in Dallas will feature a new character, Texas head coach Charlie Strong. How well Texas will do this season is anyone’s guess, but returning starting quarterback David Ash and wide receiver Jaxon Shipley hope to return Texas to national prominence.
The Sooners and Longhorns both have intriguing nonconference matchups, but it’s not ludicrous to think both teams arrive in Dallas undefeated.
The winner of the game will be in the driver’s seat not only for the Big 12 conference title but also a berth in the College Football Playoff. Oklahoma could very well avenge its tough loss in last year’s edition of this game and take advantage of Strong’s rookie season with the burnt orange.
4) Oct. 30, Florida State at Louisville
How could we forget Florida State, defending national champion and home to reigning Heisman trophy winner Famous Jameis Winston?
Everyone knows that going undefeated is difficult, and doing it twice in a row might be impossible, but if there was a team to do it, why not this one? The Seminoles lost a lot of players to the NFL but as long as Jameis is under center, why not?
This team eradicated the competition last year with a 51-14 win over No. 3 Clemson, a 41-14 victory over No. 7 Miami and a 45-7 win over No. 20 Duke in the ACC championship game.
The juggernaut Noles will travel to ACC newcomer Louisville on the last Thursday in October. Louisville is coming off an impressive 12-1 season highlighted by a thrashing of ACC member Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
The Cardinals also welcome back head coach Bobby Petrino (let’s hope he left his motorcycle in Arkansas). Despite losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Minnesota Vikings, expectations are high in Louisville’s first ACC campaign.
The atmosphere will be electric on a Thursday night when the Cardinals host Jameis and the Noles, but it’s safe to say Petrino will need a few years to build Louisville into a Playoff-caliber team.
5) Nov. 29, Auburn at Alabama
The long-awaited rematch to the best game of 2013, the Iron Bowl. I’m not crazy enough to say that this year’s Thanksgiving weekend matchup will be anywhere as good as last year’s, but it’s fun to dream.
Last season Auburn was one play away from claiming the SEC’s eighth straight national title and becoming one of the most darling Cinderellas college football has ever seen. Too bad Jameis had other plans.
Alabama enters the season on a two-game losing streak, which is very uncharacteristic. They’ll have a new quarterback this season, Florida State transfer Jacob Coker. He’ll take the reigns of an impressive arsenal of weapons including wide receiver Amari Cooper and two dynamite running backs in T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry.
Nick Saban’s coaching staff could be getting stronger with the addition of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. It’s also safe to assume that old Nick won’t be attempting any more 57-yard field goals against Auburn.
Auburn returns this season under the dynamic offense of Gus Malzahn. However, it’s reasonable to assume that the conference known for defense will start to catch on this season.
The Tigers were easily one of the luckiest teams in 2014 and many pundits are assuming their carriage will turn back into a pumpkin, a pumpkin that Nick Saban has been dreaming of smashing all summer.
The winner of this game will then possibly journey to Atlanta for the SEC championship game for a chance at a Playoff berth. Who knows who the final four will be, but it will sure be exciting.
