Another season, another year full of great games. Everyone appreciates the great conference battles, the in-state rivalries, and the teams that traditionally play each year. But I think the best games are the ones that don't meet any of those criteria. I like the games between teams that rarely play or haven't ever played. The oddball games on the schedule.
This year has a number of those games, and most of them are very early in the year. So I present the Top Ten Most Interesting College Football Matchups of 2008.
The criteria are:
#1 - teams must NOT be in the same conference.
#2 - teams should not be from the same state.
#3 - both teams preferably should be in the pre-season top 25 (anyone's)
#4 - the two teams should rarely have played, if ever.
#5 - the later in the season, the better, to build importance.
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10. Missouri vs. Illinois in St. Louis (8/30)
They just played last year, so it doesn't have the "new" factor, but this is a far bigger game than last year's was at the time. Both teams are in the pre-season AP top 25, and the game could have national championship ramifications right off the bat. I favor Missouri to beat Illinois fairly easily.
9. Clemson vs. Alabama in Atlanta (8/30)
Another great neutral-field game today. ACC vs. SEC. Clemson is supposed to be the best in the ACC, so they had better win this one. Alabama isn't ranked in both polls, but I have them #23. Not the biggest showdown, but could be very meaningful later on.
8. Virginia Tech at Nebraska (9/27)
This one is really from left field. Virginia Tech is going half-way across the country to play Nebraska? It seems unreal; I've never connected these teams in any way. I wondered if they had ever played before, so I looked it up and saw—of course! The 1996 Orange Bowl, where the 'Huskers won 41-21. That's the only time they've faced each other, until this season.
7. Auburn at West Virginia (10/23)
Another excellent cross-conference matchup, though another one that is a repeat from last year. What keeps it on the list is the fact that it will be played in late October, the 9th week of the season. Both teams could be undefeated when they face off, too.
6. Ohio State at USC (9/13)
This has been circled all off-season as Game of the Year. It deserves it, as both teams are in the top three in the polls. It's great from a rivalry standpoint too, from countless Rose Bowls, and it was a matchup I was hoping for last season. But it loses points for its familiarity. It's not a strikingly out-of-place combination of teams. (Doesn't mean I won't watch it, however!)
5. Appalachian State at LSU (8/30)
Forget what happened last season with Michigan. This one is interesting for matching up the I-A and I-AA champions from 2007 in their first game of 2008! Also, Armanti Edwards will easily be the best quarterback on the field. If LSU had travelled to Appalachian State, this would be my number one game.
4. Cincinnati at Oklahoma (9/6)
When this game was scheduled, it was probably meant for a breather for the Sooners. Not anymore. Though the Bearcats won't have Ben Mauk (we're pretty sure of that), they'll still be a challenge. Not in the AP or Coaches' poll, I have Cincinnati #21. If Mauk were back, this might be my #1 game. Oklahoma is probably too tough at home for Cincy, but the game will tell a lot about both teams.
3. Utah at Michigan (8/30)
Four of the ten best games of the year are being played today! This is another case where Michigan scheduled the wrong opponent for their opener. Michigan's offense will be in no shape to deal with the Ute defense. The Wolverines will have to hope their D can do the job. It's going to be a close one, much like last year's Appalachian State game, and with the same result, I think.
2. Georgia at Arizona State (9/20)
Another strange road trip for a national power. The #1 team (according to the major polls) is going to face another top 25 team on the road. These two teams seem like oil and water, and there's a reason—they've never met before. The Bulldogs have to survive South Carolina before this one, too, so they might not be undefeated coming in, and might not when leaving, either—remember the 1996 Nebraska game, where the Cornhuskers came in #1, and left a 19-0 loser?
1. Kansas at South Florida (9/13)
I might be the only one to put this as the top game, but I like new emerging powers in college football, and few were better than these two teams last year. This year, both are ranked mid-to-low in the top 25, but not in my pre-season top 120: Kansas is still #8 and South Florida is #4! With USF's great chance to run the table (up to West Virginia) in the Big East, this one has national champ ramifications all over it! It's too bad it doesn't happen later in the year, but you can't have everything. I'm looking forward to this game more than the USC-Ohio State game, and I think there may be the same level of teams competing in this one.
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