It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago when watching the majority of college football games was a major challenge. Once upon a time there were fewer television broadcasts and that meant only the most important games were available every season. That isn’t the case anymore with conference networks and major television deals resulting in nearly every single FBS game being available as long as you have the right package. We narrowed down the list of this year’s games to find the absolute best of the best to make sure you mark them down on your schedule and don’t forget about them. Here is a look at the top five must-watch games for 2016.
Alabama Crimson Tide @ LSU Tigers
November 5th
The SEC West is the toughest division in college football since when the projected top two teams from the conference clash on an annual basis it makes for must-watch television. The defending national champion Crimson Tide has dominated the recent head-to-head series but that won’t take anything away from their November 5th clash. LSU will have the home advantage this time around and will undoubtedly have a sense of urgency both in terms of the division race and the fact that Les Miles’ job as head coach could hang in the balance. Alabama will need to win this game to keep its hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff for the third year in a row alive but the Tigers will throw absolutely everything they have at them to prevent that from happening as they look to finally draw blood again in the head-to-head series.
Michigan Wolverines @ Ohio State Buckeyes
November 26th
The final full regular-season Saturday of the college football season will feature an intriguing rivalry that many are predicting will determine which of these teams contends for a Big Ten championship this season. Ohio State took a major hit in terms of underclassmen lost this offseason but Urban Meyer has done an excellent job filtering in new talent and the feeling is that the Buckeyes are capable of contending for a national title. Meanwhile, the Wolverines took a major step forward in their first year under Jim Harbaugh last season and are more than talented enough to compete for a spot in the playoff. The natural rivalry between these teams will only be more intense with a national spotlight shining on this game by the time that late November rolls around.
Clemson Tigers @ Florida State Seminoles
October 29th
Clemson’s rise to the top of the ACC has forced a changing of the guard as the rivalry between the Tigers and Florida State is now clearly more intense than the Sunshine State showdown that will pit the Seminoles against Miami. Clemson is expected to contend for a national championship again this season with Deshaun Watson leading the way but in order to get there they will have to take care of business against Florida State first. The Seminoles have the talent to challenge the Tigers for ACC supremacy this season and their October 29th showdown will have major implications both within the conference and on the national stage.
Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
October 15th
The Cardinal and Fighting Irish are two of the top programs in the nation and their last four games have each been decided by a touchdown or less including Stanford’s 38-36 win last season. There is a good chance that both teams will be ranked in the top-25 again this year and that will mean major implications on the national stage. The Cardinal will continue to lean on Heisman trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey to carry the load for them on offense from the running back position while Notre Dame looks to counter with either DeShone Kizer or Malik Zaire leading the way under center.
Michigan Wolverines @ Michigan State Spartans
October 29th
One month before the Wolverines make the trip to Columbus to face Ohio State, they will have to make the trip to East Lansing for another rivalry game against Michigan State. Harbaugh’s team could very well be undefeated by that point and it will set up an intriguing rematch after last year’s incredible finish. The Wolverines led the Spartans 23-21 late in the fourth quarter of last year’s meeting when a muffed snap was knocked free and taken 38 yards the other way for a game-winning score that ultimately propelled Michigan State in to the Big Ten championship game and eventually the College Football Playoff. The Spartans will be in tough to defend their crown in the Big Ten this season and while Michigan has the talent to contend it certainly doesn’t help that the Wolverines will play two very difficult rivalry games on the road against Michigan State and then against Ohio State in their regular season finale.
