College football is coming, and Top Bet is here to give you a head start on your preparation for the new season. For the entire week, you’ll find early outlooks on some select teams after their notable offseasons, as well as the key teams, players and dates to watch out for this year.
First things first: let’s take a look at the exciting college football season ahead. We’ll touch down on when the college football season starts and the key dates that you should mark down on your calendar. Read on as we take a look at the what’s in store for us.
How different will the upcoming college football season be from last year? Check out our 2015 college football recruiting update and its implications for the national championship here.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Key Dates for the 2015-2016 College Football Season
Start of Division 1-A Football – September 3-7
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The start of September will send shockwaves all across the American sports world when the 2015-2016 college football season starts. All 128 Division 1-A teams will be in action during that span, concluding with a Monday night showdown between defending national champions the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Grab some early college football futures odds here.
Rivalry Week – November 26-28
Rivalry Week has some of the most thrilling games toward the end of the college football regular season. The fact that it’s played near Selection Weekend (more on that later) makes for crucial must-win games for teams looking to secure a spot in the college football playoffs.
Conference Championship Week – December 4-5
The 2015 college football season ends with the conference championship games on December 4-5. Their respective conference championships aren’t the only things at stake for college football teams; they can also secure an automatic bid for the bowl games as champions.
Selection Weekend – December 6
After the the dust has settled in the busy college football season, the selection committee goes to work in picking the top four teams for the College Football Playoff. Records aren’t the only things concerned in taking one of the four spots in the playoffs, but also strength of competition against other ranked teams.
Aside from the selections of the four teams in the College Football Playoff, the pairings for the rest of the New Year’s Six bowls (the most prestigious bowls) will also be announced on this day.
Army vs. Navy – December 12
The Army-Navy rivalry may just be the best rivalry in all of college football. The game isn’t necessarily played between two of the best teams of the season. Instead, what goes on the line is the hard work and dedication that each program brings to the field. Many of those taking the field in the Army vs. Navy game end up serving in the military sooner or later, which makes the matchup more of a celebration of their service and patriotism.
Start of Bowl Season – December 19
Making bowl games is important for college football teams. Participating teams get payouts and the exposure needed to help develop their respective programs. The number of bowl games has grown in recent years. Most recently, 39 games were played in the 2014-2015 season. There’s more in store this year with three new games set for the 2015-2016 college football season, meaning 84 of the 128 Division 1-A teams will have a chance to take themselves out to a bowl game.
National Semifinal Games (Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl) – December 31
When it comes to bowl games, none are more important than the Orange and Cotton Bowls. This year’s Orange and Cotton Bowls make up the semifinal leg of the College Football Playoff. The four best teams in the nation attempt to reach the nation championship game to be held much later on. Last year’s selections included the ACC champion and defending national champion Florida State, Pac-12 champion Oregon, Big Ten champion Ohio State and SEC champion Alabama.
College Football National Championship Game – January 11, 2016
The last two teams standing get a chance for glory when they meet each other for the College Football Championship game on January 11. This will be the second time the championship will be contested under the new four-team College Football Playoff format. For the winners, all the blood, sweat and tears will culminate in hoisting the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. For the losers, it’s going to be another long way to the top starting next season.
It’s not too early to get into the 2015 college football season. Create a betting account now and grab some lucrative futures odds for the upcoming 2015-2016 NCAA Football season.
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