Cancel everything you have planned on Saturday nights that are not college football-related. If your wedding falls on the same day as the Iron Bowl, go ahead and reschedule it. Your loved one will understand, especially if he or she is from Tuscaloosa.
We’ve sorted out the best football games to watch every week this season. From the Wisconsin-LSU collision right up to the Army-Navy rivalry game, you can see them all below. While you’re at it, don’t miss our look at how the new college football playoff works and our preview of the SEC’s 2014 season.
Make your life easy by printing the graphic below or just get your agenda out and write these in as we go, because college football is upon us, and it’s going to be glorious.
The Best Games of the 2014-2015 NCAA Football Season
Week 1
Wisconsin vs. LSU – August 30
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Houston Texans’ home, Reliant Stadium, will play host to a heavyweight inter-conference battle between the SEC’s LSU Tigers and the Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin can gain early attention from the committee by taking down a contender of LSU’s caliber.
Clemson at Georgia – August 30
Gone is quarterback Aaron Murray, who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the recent NFL Draft, and his starting role will be inherited by Hutson Mason. He’ll undergo an early acid test with a Week 1 clash with Clemson, which finished behind defending champions, Florida State, in the ACC standings last season with a 7-1 SU conference record.
Week 2
Michigan at Notre Dame – September 6
With the Fighting Irish opting out of their contract with Michigan, this game will be the last time the two teams will play competitive football after a lengthy and memorable run as on-field rivals. The Wolverines have the advantage in the all-time head-to-head matchup with a 24-16-1 SU record.
USC at Stanford- September 6
Amidst a harrowing 2013 season, the Trojans were able to come away with a memorable victory when they dealt rival Stanford with a stunning 20-17 upset loss that took the air out of the Cardinal’s fight for a spot in the National Championship Game. Their next meeting could have a bigger implication with both teams taking aim at a conference championship appearance.
Michigan State at Oregon- September 6
Marcus Mariota could make a strong case for his candidacy to win the Heisman Trophy this season as early as Week 2, when the Ducks welcome Michigan State for a proverbial offense vs. defense matchup. In addition, this matchup could serve as a preview of the next edition of the Rose Bowl.
Week 3
Georgia at South Carolina – September 13
Georgia and South Carolina are the top contenders in the SEC East, and an early meeting could decide which team really is the team to beat in the division. Aside from that, this game features two of the most talented running backs in the nation with Todd Gurley of Georgia and Mike Davis of South Carolina – two players who could be in contention for the Heisman trophy, too.
Week 4
Florida at Alabama – September 20
Florida’s game against Alabama would be a great barometer for Gators coach Will Muschamp to know where his team currently stands on their way back to being an elite team again. Florida opens up its season with three straight home games, before heading to Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Gators are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 road games, while the Crimson Tide are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four at home against Florida.
Week 5
Sept. 25 UCLA at Arizona State
Two-way star Myles Jack and the rest of the Bruins make their way to Tempe for an intriguing matchup between two Pac-12 South contenders.
Week 6
Baylor at Texas – October 4
Under the direction of new coach Charlie Strong, who took over the position vacated by the legendary Mack Brown, the Longhorns will deal with the offensive juggernaut that is Baylor a week before their much-anticipated showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners. Baylor is 3-1 SU in the last four games versus the Longhorns, while Texas is 9-1 SU in the last 10 home games against the Bears.
Nebraska at Michigan State – October 4
In Bo Pelini’s six seasons as coach of Nebraska, the Cornhuskers have earned a reputation of being good, but not great – especially when matched up against ranked teams away from Lincoln. They are winless on the road against a Top 25 team since 2011. However, that does not mean that the Cornhuskers will be pushovers when they pay the defending Rose Bowl champions a visit this week.
LSU at Auburn – October 4
There’s a big possibility that this game will decide which team gets the ticket to the SEC Championship Game from the West division against likely opponent, Alabama, which remains a top pick to win. Auburn will come into this game fueled with the desire to avenge their only regular season loss in 2013 – a 35-21 defeat at Baton Rouge. LSU is 3-0 SU in its last three games against Auburn, while Gus Malzahn’s Tigers are 3-1 in their last four games against LSU.
Week 7
Texas at Oklahoma – October 11
Charlie Strong gets his feet wet in the heated rivalry formerly dubbed as the Red River Shootout/Red River Rivalry and now called the AT&T Red River Showdown. The Longhorns halted Oklahoma’s three-game winning streak in the matchup with a 36-20 victory last season.
Oregon at UCLA – October 11
At the tail end of the regular season, one can look back at this game as the pivotal Pac-12 matchup that decided which among potential conference championship contenders, Oregon and UCLA, will get the home-field advantage. Furthermore, this matchup features two of the brightest signal-callers in the FBS with Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley of UCLA.
Week 8
Notre Dame at Florida State – October 18
The defending champions host the storied Fighting Irish team in Tallahassee for the two teams’ first meeting since 2003, when the Seminoles absolutely thrashed Notre Dame with a 37-0 victory. This game would also be Notre Dame’s first of the five scheduled games against ACC teams this season.
Week 9
South Carolina at Auburn – October 25
This Week 9 matchup will be the last in a long while for the Gamecocks and the Tigers, who won’t see each other in the field until 2021 due to the scheduling format in the SEC. Without Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles in the fold, Steve Spurrier’s team will have their hands full against the dynamic offense of the Tigers, who will be led by QB Nick Marshall.
Ohio State at Penn State – October 25
The Buckeyes traumatized Christian Hackenberg when they beat the pulp out of the Penn State’s QB in their 63-14 win against the Nittany Lions last season. In that game, Hackenberg passed for only 112 yards, got intercepted twice, and was sacked four times in one of the most forgettable game of his young football career. Still, Hackenberg has shown potential to become the next great QB in the college ranks, and he can make a big statement if he could lead his team to a Week 9 win against the Buckeyes.
Week 10
Stanford at Oregon – November 1
Pac-12 juggernauts clash right in the first day of November as the Cardinal test the mettle of Marcus Mariota and crew in Eugene. For all the talk about how great Oregon’s offense was last season, the Cardinal somehow successfully put the cuffs on the Ducks, as they took a 20-26 win. The Cardinal have won in the last two meetings, but the Ducks are 7-3 in the last 10 overall.
Week 11
Ohio State at Michigan State – November 8
The Buckeyes have an axe to grind against the Spartans, who stopped Ohio State’s 24-game winning streak under the watch of Urban Meyer with a 34-24 win in the 2013 Big Ten championship game. Apart from being an electrifying rematch, this game could also help decide which between the two teams will represent the conference in the College Football Playoff.
Baylor at Oklahoma – November 8
Bryce Petty and the Bears made sure Oklahoma would feel their soul-crushing offense last season, when Baylor scored a 41-12 win at Waco. With Petty and Art Briles staying put, the Bears will have their best weapons on the sidelines and on the field when they head to Norman to take on the revenge-seeking Oklahoma Sooners, whom they have never beaten on the road ever.
Alabama at LSU – November 8
The hatefest continues in the Alabama-LSU rivalry as Nick Saban faces his former team. Sure, the Iron Bowl is undoubtedly the most anticipated game on the Crimson Tide’s schedule, but it does not diminish the value this matchup has, especially in determining which team will rule the SEC West.
Week 12
Oklahoma at Texas Tech – November 15
It’s not quite a stretch to imagine the Sooners going into this game with an undefeated record. If so, then that will only make this game against Kliff Kingsbury’s Red Raiders even tastier. Back in 2011, the Sooners had a 6-0 SU record and were 29-point favorites to win against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders, though, had other things in mind, serving Oklahoma with a 41-38 loss.
Auburn at Georgia – November 15
Before Chris Davis’ missed field goal return touchdown against Alabama, there was Ricardo Louis’ miraculous catch that led to a game-winning 73-yard touchdown against Georgia last season. Ever since that game, the Bulldogs have been licking their chops in anticipation of a rematch with Auburn. The Tigers are the reigning SEC champs when they again, while Georgia should remain as among the favorite in the East division of the conference by the time this game comes up.
Week 13
USC at UCLA – November 22
Los Angeles will be transformed into a battlefield when the Bruins and the Trojans lock horns for a continuation of their ever-simmering rivalry. USC has lost in the last two matchups against the Bruins, but they are 7-3 in the last 10 overall.
Week 14
Stanford at UCLA – November 28
This could be a preview of Pac-12’s championship game, which is a mere week away after this tussle. Although the Cardinal are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Bruins, this match will still be full of intrigue, especially with the role it will play on deciding which teams play in the conference championship game.
Notre Dame at USC – November 29
USC has dominated the Fighting Irish for a long stretch during the last decade. However, Notre Dame has turned the tide to its favor in their recent meetings, winning three of the last four. This game takes place a week after the Trojans have played all of their conference games on schedule. Still, this game could have major implications in the final rankings.
South Carolina at Clemson – November 29
Each team has significant losses over the offseason with Clemson’s Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins and South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney all departing for the NFL. What remains, though, in this rivalry is a pair of entertaining coaches in Steve Spurrier and Dabo Swinney, who’ll try to steer their teams into a regular-season ending victory, which could turn out to have significant ramifications in their rankings.
Michigan State at Penn State – November 29
The Nittany Lions are still barred from playing in Big Ten championship and in any bowl game. What Penn State could do, however, is to spoil other teams’ aspirations of playing in any of those games. They can play the role of the spoiler when they host Michigan State for their last game of the season, where the Spartans might need a win to get into the four-team playoffs or an appearance in the Big Ten championship game.
Michigan at Ohio State – November 29
Last season was a disaster for the Wolverines, as they lost six of their next eight games following a 5-0 SU start. But their record does not speak to the kind of exhilarating games they’ve had last season, even in losses. One of which was a barn-burner of a game against then No. 3 Buckeyes, who barely escaped with a slim 42-41 win.
Auburn at Alabama – November 29
Of all the revenge storylines for this upcoming season, nothing tops the one with the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. All bets are going to be off when Auburn and Alabama see each other on the field for the first time since Chris Davis crushed the Crimson Tide’s dreams of playing in the last BCS Bowl. Expect a raucous and hostile crowd when the Tigers make their way to Tuscaloosa.
Week 15
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma – December 6
This rivalry isn’t called “Bedlam” for nothing. In their last meeting, the Sooners issued a 33-24 upset win over Oklahoma State to take away the Cowboys’ chances of winning the Big 12 title and clinch a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners are 4-1 SU in their last five meetings, while the Cowboys won against spread in two of the last three.
Week 16
Army vs. Navy – December 13
Regardless of how these two teams fared in the previous year, the game between the Army and the Navy will have the attention of the entire nation given its long-running rivalry, which is one of the best in college football. Traditionally scheduled as the last college football game of the season, this matchup has seen the Army ruthlessly dominate its comrades since last decade, winning all of the last 12 meetings with the Navy.
Told you, it’s going to be a hell of a season. Create a betting account now, and see the latest odds and lines in NCAA Football.
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