The arrival of the College Football Playoff has raised the level of urgency that the top teams in the country will face from the outset. The schedule will put that much more pressure on those programs with some key early season matchups that will have a significant impact on the outlook at the top. There are some great televised games in Week 1, including the some that aren’t even on the list. Kansas State versus Stanford, UCLA versus Texas A&M, Clemson versus Auburn and Notre Dame versus Texas. There’s plenty on the line.
Here is a look at the four-best televised games for week one.
#1 Alabama vs. #20 USC
There will be plenty of talent on the football field when the defending national champion Crimson Tide clash with the Trojans under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium in Dallas for the most highly anticipated game of the opening week. Alabama has once again experienced significant turnover following a championship season but is still projected to contend for another national title thanks to the outstanding job the coaching staff has done in terms of recruiting and developing top talent. Meanwhile, USC kicks off one of the toughest schedules in the entire country against the No. 1 ranked team and can make a statement with a win over the Tide. The Trojans definitely have the talent to upset the defending champions and it will be interesting to see if they can actually take down the mighty Alabama in their opener.
#4 Florida State vs. #11 Ole Miss
Florida State appears primed to contend for a national championship this season and it won’t take long to see if they are for real with a week one matchup against No. 11 Ole Miss. The Rebels have shown a knack for pulling off upsets with wins over Alabama the past couple of years and they can significantly boost their stock with a win over the Seminoles.
Meanwhile, Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois will be in the spotlight after he was given the starting job following an injury to senior Sean Maguire and with a loaded cast around him on both offense and defense it will be on the freshman quarterback to prove that he is ready for the spotlight. Speaking of quarterbacks, this televised game will feature Chad Kelly, a quarterback who previously played for Florida State’s biggest rival, Clemson, before transferring to Ole Miss. There’s some familiarity there, which adds some intrigue to this contest.
#18 Georgia vs. #22 North Carolina
Kirby Smart’s first season as the head coach at Georgia will begin with an important showdown against another talented ACC team in the Tar Heels. North Carolina is coming off an impressive 11-3 season in which it earned ACC Coastal division honors and will be looking to make a statement with an upset in its opener. However, the Bulldogs are loaded on both sides of the football including at running back, where Nick Chubb will make his highly anticipated return following last year’s devastating season-ending knee injury. Georgia has been blessed with one of the easier schedules in the SEC and a week one win over a tough opponent could be the catalyst to contending for a conference championship and possibly even more in the first year under Smart.
This is an important game for both sides as North Carolina is trying to prove that they’re for real. If they can stun a team like Georgia, it could change their trajectory in the ACC.
#8 LSU @ Wisconsin
Wisconsin might not enter this season in the top-25 but they have the talent to be a top-15 team and are in position to make a statement in their opener. The Badgers will need their strong run defense to step up big time with star running back Leonard Fournette carrying the football for LSU, while their offense will need to find a way to solve an improved Tigers’ defense. Les Miles was given another shot to lead LSU to glory in the SEC and finding a way to win in week one will be crucial. The Tigers are ranked No. 8 overall but they are the only team on this list that has to travel in week one and they will face a hungry and talented opponent in Wisconsin.
