When you think of college football, fight songs, sexy cheerleaders and crazy ass uniforms probably come to mind, as the college game is just a little more impassioned than the NFL version.
Rather than drunk old guys tailgating and causing fights in their corporate suites, you’ve got thousands of 20-somethings doing the same thing in their respective student sections, hoping to will their way to a win.
There’s almost nothing in sports like the atmosphere of a college football game—and when it’s a huge game with big-time implications, shit gets even more hyped.
As a new college football season gets ready to kickoff next week, I’m giving you the 10 can’t miss games, ranked, of the entire year, so don’t be too hungover from Friday to miss these contests on Saturday.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines (Nov. 28)
A lot of people are hyping this one up because of the matchup between two big-name coaches who have had success on every level they’ve been at.
And while I’m an Ohio State fan who grew up literally smack dab in the middle of this epic rivalry, Michigan doesn’t have the thoroughbreds to keep up with the Buckeyes quite yet.
Former UMich coach Brady Hoke did a great job recruiting, but the current players fit his system, not new Wolverines’ coach Jim Harbaugh’s.
Let’s not forget that the Bucks were the first unanimous preseason No. 1 team in the AP Poll for a reason, meaning the reigning national champs have the inside track towards repeating this year.
But, as rivalry games always seem to prove, anything can happen, so it’ll be important to tune into this annual matchup to see how it unfolds.
9. Marshall Thundering Herd at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Nov. 27)
You may be asking yourself why in the hell I have the Marshall-Western Kentucky game on the list of the most intriguing CFB games, right? Pay close attention, children.
Last year’s score was a 67-66 video game-like slugfest, with the winner, WKU, handing Marshall its only loss in 14 games by going for two for the win.
The Hilltoppers return a quarterback in Brandon Doughty who tossed 49 touchdowns and can put up points in a hurry. But, until further notice, Marshall is still at the head of the class in Conference USA.
For those who like points, this is a game you can’t miss.
8. Florida State Seminoles at Clemson Tigers (Nov. 7)
We know that the SEC and, most likely, the Pac-12 are the two most intriguing conferences in America, but there’s still some good ball that’s being played in the ACC, guys.
With polarizing quarterback Jameis Winston leaving Tallahassee for the NFL and the Noles having their fair share of trouble this offseason, some seem to be overlooking the loads of talent Florida State still has.
You guys, this team is 39-3 in the past three seasons and head coach Jimbo Fisher has recruited like a mad man, so they’ve got reserves in their tank, trust me.
The game against ACC rival Clemson is a juicy one, with the conference’s Atlantic division and overall title, seemingly, on the line as Clemson tries to cop revenge after letting last year’s game slip through their fingers in a game Winston was suspended for.
With Clemson flying under the radar a bit and sitting at No. 12 in the preseason AP poll, this dog fight with the Noles might determine their final fate—and they’ll have the rowdy fans in Death Valley backing them to try and snag this victory from FSU.
7. USC Trojans at Oregon Ducks (Nov. 21)
Like others on this list, there’s a hell of a lot of hatred between the Trojans and Ducks, with Oregon acting like the new freshman on campus who uses cheesy pickup lines to get the ladies, while SC sticks to its guns with charm and class.
A makeshift conference title game in the Pac-12, when the Trojans travel up to Eugene on the third week of November, they’ll be looking to prove that they belong in the national title picture and, after a few down years, are officially back.
It’s also going to be personal for SC’s head coach Steve Sarkisian, as Sark is 0-5 against the Ducks in his career, losing each game by at least three touchdowns.
With the high-octane offense the Ducks can bring, the Men of Troy best be ready in order to reverse the Oregon curse for their coach.
6. LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide (Nov. 7)
If you like hard-nosed football with games won between the trenches, this is the game for you.
Oh, yeah, and did I mention that the bad blood that boils between the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide runs as thick as nearly any rivalry in the country?
In your annual mano a mano matchup, head coach Les Miles leads his Tigers into T-Town to take on Nick Saban’s Tide in what may decide the final fate of both teams.
Both teams have a legit possibility of being undefeated when the schedule turns to Nov. 7, so if you like that sort of thing, you may want to watch this.
The thought of two, bulldozing running backs—Leonard Fournette of LSU and Derrick Henry of Alabama—is also something to keep an eye on, as they’re two of the premier runners in the country.
5. Oregon Ducks at Michigan State Spartans (Sept. 12)
This one loses a little of its luster because it’s so early in the season and a loss doesn’t completely derail a national title run, but that doesn’t mean it’s not intriguing as all fuck.
Last season’s national title runner-up, Oregon has tons of question marks before kicking off its 2015 campaign, and it all starts with who’s starting under center to replace last year’s Heisman winner, Marcus Mariota.
As for Sparty, they find themselves sitting at No. 5 in the AP preseason poll after an 11-2 campaign in 2014, with star quarterback Connor Cook ready to leave his mark as he joins the Heisman Trophy conversation.
These two played in Eugene last year with the Ducks coming out on top, so we’ll have to see if the Spartans can protect home-field and return the favor.
4. USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Oct. 17)
Are both of these programs finally back to their usual selves after a couple down seasons? If you read any preseason CFB magazines and listen to the pundits, one would think so.
The Irish are getting a shit ton of love this preseason, being talked about as, gulp, a legit national title contender thanks to an explosive offense and a softer schedule than they’ve had in the past.
As for the Trojans, besides that forgettable, drunken pep talk from head coach Steve Sarkisian earlier this week, they appear to be loaded and ready for a national title run of their own.
The Men of Troy have a quarterback in Cody Kessler who could follow in the footsteps of former SC signal-callers and thrust himself into the Heisman Trophy race.
After the Trojans embarrassed ND by a score of 49-14 last season when the Irish were rolling out second- and third-stringers, you know the Golden Domers will have revenge on their minds once they take the field in South Bend.
3. Michigan State Spartans at Ohio State Buckeyes (Nov. 21)
As mentioned earlier, the Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off of a national championship in 2014, and all signs are pointing towards the Bucks making a strong case to repeat again in 2015.
The legitimate one hiccup that could cause them to barf all over themselves? The Michigan State Spartans, who could derail OSU’s shot at even winning the Big Ten Championship.
Sparty has the talent and experience to not only compete with Ohio State, but, presumably, be the one team in the Big Ten that could end a repeat dream.
Another strange state to keep an eye on here—The underdog has won the past four meetings, and with the game in Columbus and Ohio State currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, MSU will head from East Lansing hoping to make ‘dogs five-for-five this year.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers (Nov. 28)
You guys, it’s the fucking Iron Bowl, of course it’s going to be high on this list—especially after how the past two meetings have gone down.
We all remember how 2013 ended, with Auburn returning a missed field goal attempt over 100 yards for a game-winning score, sending them to the SEC title game and, eventually, a spot in the National Championship Game.
2014’s version was a pretty good encore, too, with Bama outscoring the Tigers 28-7 in the final 18 minutes of play—with Auburn’s TD being a meaningless one with 20 seconds left and the game already decided—in a 55-44 win during the ejaculation of points.
Without a doubt the best college football rivalry right now, the Iron Bowl typically decides the SEC West champ and, in the past few years, the fate of both teams’ national title hopes.
1. Baylor Bears at TCU Horned Frogs (Nov. 27)
We may not have known it at the time they played last year, but the Baylor Bears-TCU Horned Frogs game was the most controversial of the entire 2014 season.
After Baylor beat TCU 61-58 in an insane shootout that included the Bears scoring 24 points in the final 11 minutes, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee didn’t think the win was good enough to boost them into the inaugural four-team playoff—which hasn’t sat well with either program ever since.
This year’s matchup doesn’t only bring the bad blood from a tough game in 2014, but it actually feels like a do-or-die game for both squads, as the winner has a first-class seat to this year’s playoff, with the other loser, more than likely, missing out again.
Baylor and TCU might not have the rich history that others on this list do, but this is the can’t-miss game of the 2015 season whether you want to admit it or not.