Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Top 10 Intriguing Non-Conference Games
Every year around this time, I start to get hunger pangs for football Saturdays. Oh, I'll pick through the leftovers of the NBA playoffs and I'll nibble on some baseball, but my mouth will continue to water for the gorged-yet-satisfied feeling of having dined on a 12-hour smorgasbord of college pigskin.
And the best part of the college football season? While it's hard to beat the time-honored recipes of deep-seeded rivalry, there's something exotic about the non-conference schedule that's impossible to pass up. Maybe it's the rush of seeing helmets swapping paint with shades you don't normally see. Maybe it's the country-wide implications in the battle for conference supremacy. Whatever it is, I get excited every year to look at who has chosen to play whom.
I've plowed through the immense field of non-conference games and picked my 10 most intriguing. But keep in mind my definition of intriguing is more than just which games will affect the national championship picture the most. For every USC/Ohio State, the non-conference schedules include plenty of great opportunities for outsides like TCU or Boise State to get a signature win, as well as measuring stick games for proud programs trying to regain a foothold at the top of the heap. We might have just celebrated Memorial Day, but Labor Day will be here soon, and with it will come these gems:
10) September 12: Notre Dame @ Michigan
Just two weeks into the 2009 season, one of these fan bases will be having flashbacks to their forgettable 2008. A soft schedule and many returning starters have set expectations high for the Irish. The Wolverines, on the other hand, will be anxious to start fast in order to put as much distance between themselves and the memories of their 2008 disaster as possible.
9) October 3: Oklahoma @ Miami
Hey, remember the '80s? The Sooners' second test of the year (I'm not writing off BYU on opening weekend as a laugher just yet) pits them against their past rival. With Heisman winner Sam Bradford back in Norman, the Sooners should be 3-0 and have scored plenty of points. In contrast, the Hurricanes should come into the matchup well-tested, as they open with conference tilts at Florida State and Virginia Tech, sandwiched around a home date with Georgia Tech. Miami coach Randy Shannon has brought a lot of prospective talent to the U; stunning the Sooners would loudly announce the Hurricanes are back in reality.
8) October 3: Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (in Arlington, TX)
Ironically, this matchup of cast-off NFL head coaches (Arkansas' Bobby Petrino hit the eject button out of Atlanta, A&M's Mike Sherman was fired by Green Bay) will happen in the house that Jerry Jones built. Mirroring the SEC/Big 12 matchup of the Cotton Bowl, which coincidentally will also now be played in new Cowboys Stadium, either of these fan bases would be thrilled to make a return trip in January.
7) October 17: USC @ Notre Dame
There's a good chance Notre Dame will be 4-1 or 5-0 entering this tilt, and it goes without saying the Trojans will be in that ballpark as well. Just keeping this one close would go a long way toward restoring Charlie Weis' premature anointment in Irish lore.
6) September 26: USF @ Florida State
Supremacy in the Sunshine State may be owned by Florida, but the recent mediocrity of Miami and Florida State has opened up the debate for No. 2. With major recruiting credibility on the line, the Seminoles have a lot to lose if the Bulls parade out of Doak with a win.
5) September 3: Oregon @ Boise State
On college football's opening night, newly anointed Oregon head coach Chip Kelly makes his debut on the blue turf of Boise. And it only gets tougher from here: the Ducks follow their date with the Broncos with home tilts against Purdue, Utah, and Cal. No wonder former coach Mike Bellotti moved upstairs to the AD's office.
4) September 26: TCU @ Clemson
Give the Horned Frogs major scheduling points. TCU could stake its claim as the front-runner to crash the BCS party with wins here against the Tigers and on September 12 at Virginia. If you can't beat 'em in the polls, then beat 'em on the field. Meanwhile, perennial enigma Clemson should be extra intriguing under interim-turned-permanent head coach Dabo Sweeney. The Tigers have recruited better than you might have realized in the last few years, so maybe, possibly, finally this could just be the year they put it all together for an ACC title run.
3) September 5: Georgia @ Oklahoma State
For the second year in a row, the Dawgs head west of the Mississippi for a regular season game. Could their SEC membership be revoked for this? While Georgia showed plenty of bite last year in their romp over Arizona State, this year's retooled group will face a potent Cowboy offense with plenty of returning firepower on this road trip.
2) September 5: Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)
Last year, the Crimson Tide used an opening weekend beating of Clemson in Atlanta to roll to a Sugar Bowl berth. If they can find an answer at quarterback to replace John Parker Wilson, 2009 might look a lot like 2008. The Hokies, on the other hand, finally have settled the Tyrod Taylor-Sean Glennon quarterback shuffle (thanks, graduation!). An upset win here would make Virginia Tech an ACC favorite.
1) September 12: USC @ Ohio State
Once again, the non-conference game of the year. Buckeye fans might be bracing for another national-stage letdown, but there are plenty of reasons to believe the Men of Troy might be defeated on the banks of the Olentangy. First, in contrast to Mark Sanchez's second career start last year, this year's Trojan signal caller (Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp) will be making his second career start on the road, at night, in a very loud environment. Secondly, SC's defense that stifled the Buckeyes a year ago has since seen a diaspora to NFL rosters. There will be plenty of raw, though highly skilled, players trying to stop Terrelle Pryor.