As college football continues to evolve we are seeing more and more teams schedule tough non conference opponents to strengthen their schedules, and give themselves a better chance to make the College Football Playoff. This year there are a plethora of exciting, potentially landscape altering non conference games for some of the SEC’s finest. With the season’s start inching closer I thought it would be fun to rank some of these matchups. The Dawgs kick it off against non-conference foe Clemson this year, but where will that rank among the best out of conference?
10 - Arkansas @ Oklahoma State - September 7th - 12:00 PM
Starting off with a matchup of two neighboring states, Arkansas travels to Stillwater to take on the Cowboys in an early season showdown. On one side Sam Pittman is looking for a statement win against a ranked opponent. He’s been on the hot seat for too long and needs a big win like this one to cool it down. For Oklahoma State, they’re looking to be serious contenders in not just the revamped Big 12, but also for the College Football Playoff. With the reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II in the backfield, the pokes are going to be looking to run it down the throats of an Arkansas team who was pretty mediocre against the run last season(#76 Natl.). Overall, I think this is going to be a fun game to watch and a true indicator of the trajectory for each team’s 2024 season.
9 - Miami @ Florida - August 31st - 3:30 PM
Oh man am I interested in this game. In-state rivals face off to open the season in The Swamp, in a game where Miami has legit CFP aspirations that need to start with a win against the Gators. For Florida, everyone is writing them off because of their brutal schedule, but this is a chance to catch some early momentum and maybe change the minds of the nation. Miami brought in veteran quarterback Cam Ward from Washington State in the transfer portal. The gunslinger is hoping to finally be the answer to all of the Hurricane faithful’s prayers, and deliver them a playoff berth. Miami also has a barrage of talented running backs who will try to overwhelm the Gator defense. Florida now has Graham Mertz in his second season with the program, and while he caught a lot of flak last season, he had a sneaky solid year. However, the biggest motivator for him has to be 5-star quarterback DJ Lagway, lurking in the shadows waiting for Mertz to slip up. The Gators lost a lot of production to both the draft and the portal, losing Trevor Etienne (UGA), Princely Umanmielen (MISS), Ricky Pearsall (Draft), and others. How will The Gators look to start the season? Will they get swept up by the Hurricanes like everyone seems to think? Or will they brave the storm and march into their gauntlet of a schedule with confidence?
8 - Alabama @ Wisconsin - September 14th - 12:00 PM
Alabama and Wisconsin last met in the season opener in 2015, with Alabama winning 35-17. Derrick Henry rushed for almost 150 yards and 3 TDs in that game. There’s one major difference between then and now- Nick Saban is gone. This will be Kalen Deboer’s first real test. The expectations for Alabama are up in the air right now. Obviously we expect them to be Alabama, but will they be a shell of themselves under new leadership? This game should tell us a lot. For starters, Madison is not a quiet place. Camp Randall Stadium gets really loud and hostile. They have Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke coming in to hopefully give them a spark at the quarterback position. The biggest reason why I think this is a game to watch, is because just beyond the horizon, one of the biggest games of Kalen Deboer’s life, lies in wait. The Dawgs. Will the Tide be looking past the Badgers? I don’t think so, but there is always a chance.
7 - UCLA @ LSU - September 21st - TBD
This game is interesting, and I put it this high strictly because of curiosity and the element of the unknown. LSU is coming off of a solid season, obviously losing the Heisman winner and two wide receivers to the first round of the NFL draft, this team is going to look different. UCLA had a rocky year last year, and on top of that lost their 5 star quarterback in Dante Moore. They did however, bring in Ethan Garbers, a former 4 star from Washington. For LSU, I’m interested to see what new starter and absolute gunslinger Garrett Nussmeier can do with a new offense. They have a solid foundation up front, with potentially 3 first rounders on the offensive line, and we know LSU always has weapons on the outside. The defense also has one of the best players in football if used correctly in Harold Perkins Jr. UCLA is in what feels like a rebuilding year in a new, loaded BIG10, but they could really get off on the right foot if they were to knock off the Tigers. This game is definitely going to be a feeler matchup for me.
6 - Tennessee @ NC State - September 7th - 7:30 PM
If you haven’t picked up on the pattern yet, I think these early games are very interesting, and I’m looking to them to answer lots of questions I have about each program. What a matchup to start both the Nico Iamaleava era in Knoxville, and Coastal Carolina transfer QB Grayson McCall’s year with the Wolfpack. Both fan bases have extremely high expectations for their teams and specifically these quarterbacks. Each of these programs have legitimate playoff aspirations that could be either cashed or crashed depending on the outcome of this game. Tennessee comes into this game with a rowdy fanbase, preseason Heisman hype, and national championship expectations. How will Nico manage that pressure? On the flip side, Grayson McCall was a stud in his career with Coastal Carolina, but it seemed as though he never got the respect he deserved because of the size of his program. Now he has it. This is his opportunity to prove he is a big time player who can make big time plays. I think this game will shape the season for both teams.
5 - Tulane @ Oklahoma - September 14th - 3:30 PM
I think this game has the potential to be my favorite non-conference game of the year. Tulane is a program that has been at the top of the Group of 5 for a few years now. They have won 23 of their last 28, including a Cotton Bowl victory over USC. They did lose their head coach Willie Fritz, who left for Houston, and a four-year starting quarterback in Michael Pratt. On the bright side, they snagged Oregon transfer Ty Thompson from the portal. For Oklahoma, this is an early test for the Sooners as they look to make their mark in the SEC. With sophomore Jackson Arnold taking the reins and another year under Brent Venables, this team is expected to make some waves this season. This could be an early opportunity to show the rest of the conference that they mean business. Tulane wants to make a push to be the G5 autobid into the playoffs. To do it, they are going to need to win this game. That would give them something almost no other G5 team has- A victory against an SEC team on the road.
4 - Notre Dame @ Texas A&M - August 31st - 7:30 PM
What a fun matchup this is. A Notre Dame team who is foaming at the mouth to get back into the playoff, and a Texas A&M team who has plenty of talent but hasn’t been able to put it all together. Marcus Freeman and The Irish are coming off a 10-3 season, where once again they fell short of the CFP. This year there are no excuses. They play Texas A&M in College Station, Florida State at home, and USC on the road. Outside of those 3 games they play almost no one. If they’re gonna make their run, it’s going to be now. They have a couple transfers coming in who should make big impacts, none more so than Duke transfer QB Riley Leonard. Leonard was phenomenal when he was on the field for the Blue Devils last year, but fought the injury bug after an early season upset over Clemson. Texas A&M should be well prepared for Leonard. After the expensive exit of Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies went out and hired Duke head coach Mike Elko. There might not be a team more prepared for the Irish air attack than A&M. On the other side of the ball, Conner Weigman is looking to put himself in the Heisman conversation. Before his season ending injury he was looking fantastic, and Aggie faithful are hoping he picks up where he left off. We will see if the massive amount of talent that A&M has collected over the last few years will finally be enough to get them over the hump. This game will be a real test for both teams to see where they stand going forward.
3 - USC @ LSU - September 1st - 7:30 PM
Both of these schools lost former Heisman winning quarterbacks this offseason, and this game will show us how their new offenses are going to shape up. USC is going to be starting Miller Moss, who, in case you missed it, threw for 372 yards and 6 touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl in his first start. He definitely gave Trojan fans something to look forward to, even while losing one of the best players in program history. USC finds themselves in a peculiar situation entering 2024. The Trojans haven’t won the PAC12 since the arrival of Lincoln Riley. They join a conference with 4 of the top 9 teams in the AP Poll, and they aren’t one of them. How will Lincoln Riley adjust? Riley has never been known for his defensive prowess and now he enters a league with teams like Iowa, Penn State, MIchigan, Ohio St (all top 7 defenses in the country last year). Sure, they have brought in plenty of portal help on defense, but can they improve? This game will be a good benchmark for what Lincoln RIley’s team will look like. LSU always has a good offense. Will this be a game where USC attempts to dig their heels in and make defensive stands? Or will they fall into the same old habits and only play one side of the ball? LSU has a great opportunity to make a statement, but to me this game will say a lot more about USC.
2 - UGA v Clemson (Atlanta) - August 31st - 12:00 PM
The last time the Dawgs opened against Clemson it was a defensive slugfest that UGA won 10-3. JT Daniels and the offense couldn’t really get anything going, and the only touchdown was a Chris Smith pick-six. I expect things to be a little different this time around. Georgia’s offense is stellar to say the least. Playmakers at the skill positions are going to give opposing defensive coordinators headaches throughout the year. Obviously with Carson Beck at the helm, there is a ton of confidence in the quarterback. Transfer running back Trevor Etienne will be huge in the run game for the Dawgs alongside Branson Robinson and freshman Nate Frazier. Transfer wideouts Colbie Young and London Humphreys will be looking to make an instant impact as well. Oscar Delp is looking to step up and fill the unfillable shoes of Brock Bowers, but if anyone in the country could come close it might be him. On the defensive side of the ball, the Dawgs will look to be dominant in every facet. Georgia’s defense struggled in pass rush at times last season, but another year of Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker in the front seven could have the Dawgs wreaking havoc on the edge. I have no doubt there will be an uptick in production. For the Tigers, they see the return of Cade Klubnik, who many were expecting a lot more out of last season. He and the Tigers had a rather disappointing year in 2023. Clemson’s philosophy doesn't seem to be changing this year. They will look to have a balanced offensive attack and a bruising defense that shows no mercy. I expect UGA’s secondary to take advantage of Clemson’s mediocre passing attack with many different looks in an effort to confuse Klubnik. Do I expect this to be a low scoring affair? No. Do I expect this to be one of Georgia’s lowest scoring games? Yes. This should be a good test of Georgia’s offense as this will be one of the best defenses they play in the regular season. Last time UGA opened vs Clemson they had a pretty special season… Let’s see if they can recreate some magic.
1 - Texas @ Michigan - September 7th - 12:00 PM
This game will be filled with hype. The atmosphere should be one of the best in college football this year. The defending national champions take on a Longhorn team who came close to reaching the mountaintop last year. Even with how rowdy it’s going to be in that stadium, Texas is still a 3.5 point favorite. Why? Because Michigan doesn’t have a sure thing at quarterback. Alex Orji is the projected starter as of now, but he is still a massive question mark. If we’ve learned one thing watching college football for the past couple years, it’s that you need a solid, stable quarterback in order to win games of this magnitude. Don’t get me wrong, the defense for Michigan is ridiculously good, and they may have the two best defensive players in football with Will Johnson and Mason Graham. I do not expect this game to touch the 30 point mark for either team. This game feels like a 21-17 or 24-21 type of battle. Sherrone Moore has taken the reins from Jim Harbaugh. In his stint as interim head coach he did his job and won games. Is he ready to take on a full season? Not only is it his first season as a head coach, but he is at the forefront of the Connor Stallions scandal. Can he ignore the distractions? Can he lead this team through the Big 10 gauntlet? Can he beat Ohio State? Only time will tell. For the Longhorns, they see the return of Quinn Ewers, a Hesiman hopeful who has now had plenty of big game experience. Many people have criticized his game, and we will see if his offseason work filled some of those holes. Texas lost their 3 best pass catchers in Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell, and Ja’tavion Sanders, but they picked up former Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond. The most troubling problem for Texas right now is in their backfield. They lost starting running back CJ Baxter to a season ending knee injury, and backup Christian Clark to a season ending achilles injury. They will be starting junior Jaydon Blue, who has just under 400 career rushing yards. Will he be able to step up to the plate? Texas has a stellar offensive line which should take plenty of pressure off both him and Ewers. The UT defense was good last year, but again, they lost a lot of talent to the draft, losing interior pass rushers Byron Murphy and T’vondre Sweat. They have plenty of talent on the roster but much of it is unproven. This is an early matchup that is going to tell Sark and Longhorn fans who is for real. This game will be hyped as a battle between two blueblood powerhouses, and it will shape the College Football Playoff picture. You’re going to want to tune into this one.
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