I live in a very hot section of the country, but a cool front came through this morning and really made me feel like the Fall is here. I know we have a couple of weeks of August still ahead of us, but it’s getting closer and it feels like Fall outside and I am feeling some football.
These are some of the better games we have to look forward to in just the month of September alone.
September 3rd Thursday:
South Carolina vs North Carolina – The Gamecocks disappointed everyone last year and so did the Tar Heels. North Carolina has a new Defensive Coordinator in former Auburn coach Gene Chizek.
TCU at Minnesota – The Horn Frogs tore the Gophers up last season and the results should be the same in 2015 because everybody thinks the Frogs will be a top 5 team.
Michigan at Utah – The Jim Harbaugh era begins at Michigan and Utah will be a tough start. All I can say is beat Michigan while you can because Harbaugh is going to take the Wolverines to elite status.
September 4th Friday:
Baylor at SMU – The mighty Bears find another hapless victim to bully. SMU has a new coach in Chad Morris the former Offensive Coordinator at Clemson, but they have no shot here. Morris was a great high school coach much along the lines of Baylor’s Art Briles was, but if he has a chance to succeed at SMU, it will take time. If it wasn’t a Friday night game, I probably would not even bother with this slaughter.
Washington at Boise State – This is an interesting match up featuring Chris Peterson against his former team. This game could be fun to watch, but I can’t take that blue rug that they play on at Boise State. It’s just not a football surface.
September 5th Saturday:
Louisville vs Auburn – This game is a must watch because of the Tigers hiring of Will Muschamp as the new Defensive Coordinator. Just how long will it take him to have that defense among the
nation’s best. Auburn could be really dangerous this season with new Quarterback Jeremy Johnson and surrounding cast. How much competition will the Cardinals give the Tigers is the question and this could be a great game to watch.
Virginia at UCLA – This game was shockingly close last year. The Bruins hired former Penn State Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley for the same job and they have some athletes. Who will take over for Brett Hundley at Quarterback for UCLA? True freshman hotshot Josh Rosen may get his first start here and that alone makes the game worth finding on your television set. Quin Blanding the sophomore safety for Virginia is one of the nation’s best. All the talk on the West Coast this season is USC and Oregon and the Trojans have not beaten the Bruins in a while. The Bruins do have some talent and I believe Tom Bradley to be a significant upgrade at Defensive Coordinator.
Penn State at Temple – James Franklin’s second season should be better than his first at Penn State. Christian Hackenburg just has to bounce back from a horrible sophomore season and become the very first pick in the draft that so many scouts talk about. Temple could be a good early season test for the Lions. Franklin proved himself a top coach at Vanderbilt and if he sticks around will do
wonders at Penn State. Joe Paterno built the Lions into a national brand, and Franklin will restore that.
Texas at Notre Dame – The Irish are already a 12.5 point favorite here. Charlie Strong took over a mess in Austin and it might take a little time to fix, but this could still be an interesting match up. The biggest question mark here is who will Quarterback the Longhorns against a solid Notre Dame squad.
BYU at Nebraska – The Mike Riley coaching era begins at Nebraska. BYU Quarterback Taysom Hill will be back and he’s really good. If Hill is back to his old self, I expect a big win for the Cougars even in Lincoln.
Wisconsin vs Alabama – On paper, the Tide should blow them out. But, the games aren’t played on paper and this could be an interesting game. Paul Chryst is the new coach at Wisconsin, but he’s a disciple of the old coaches in Madison and things will be the same. Solid defense with a great running game and spotty passing. Sounds like an SEC school.
Stanford at Northwestern – Stanford is one of those schools that plays tough, old school football and I will watch them any chance I get. Can the inexperienced Stanford defense stop Northwestern
sophomore Running Back Justin Jackson? The Northwestern Running Back had a really nice true freshman season. With Hogan back at Quarterback, and a great Offensive Line as usual, I expect the Cardinal to prevail here.
Bowling Green at Tennessee -Bowling Green is not a bad team and Tennessee could make a serious run at an SEC East Championship. No matter how you feel about MAC teams like Bowling Green, this game is a must watch to see the new Volunteer talent. The Vols should win big.
New Mexico State at Florida – This game could be ugly, but we will want to watch the first game at Florida for brand new head coach Jim McElwain. How long will it take McElwain to get some kind of offense going for the Gators? Redshirt freshman Will Grier, or sophomore Treon Harris, will need to step up at Quarterback. Will the Gator defense drop off with the coaching change? Tune in to see for yourself.
Louisiana Monroe at Georgia – Monroe is pretty awful, but this game should be interesting because of the recruiting class that the Bulldogs brought in last February. I can’t wait to see them. I don’t expect Nick Chubb to have a huge day because the game could be a blowout early, but he’s also always fun to watch.
Arizona State vs Texas A%M – This is a quality opponent for the Aggies. Both of these schools can lite up the scoreboard. This could be the best game of the week. Arizona State returns most of their defense and has plenty of talent returning on offense.
Georgia Southern at West Virginia – Top passing team of West Virginia versus top running team of Georgia Southern. This could be a runaway victory for the Mountaineers, or it could be a fun game.
Texas State at Florida State – This game will be ugly, but we need to see who lines up at Quarterback for Florida State. Also, the Seminoles have a lot of young talent and they should all get playing time.
September 6th Sunday:
Purdue at Marshall – It’s the only game on and we are all football crazy by this time of year. Marshall won’t be as good as last year and Purdue coach Darrell Hazell is still trying to compete.
September 7th Monday:
Ohio State at Virginia Tech – Rematch of last year’s game where the Hokies looked like they were
back and surprised the Buckeyes at home. This could be a great game because the Hokies can still play defense. The Buckeyes could be out for blood, but the revenge factor is overrated in sports. The Buckeyes already have some suspended players for this game including Joey Bosa and they could again be in trouble.
September 11th Friday:
Utah State at Utah – Regional grudge match. I realize you have to be hard core to look forward to this game, but you have to be hard core to write a blog about college football in the first place.
September 12th Saturday:
Notre Dame at Virginia – Say what you want about today’s schedules and fear of playing anyone, but Virginia isn’t scared. Notre Dame is always fun to watch whether you love them or hate them.
South Florida at Florida State – The Seminoles will have a lot of young talent and will be exciting to watch. This is another chance to see some of that talent.
Oklahoma at Tennessee – This could be a really good early game next season with the Tennessee Volunteers vastly improved and Oklahoma with a brand new offense. The Volunteers are a
completely different team than the one that the Sooners beat last year early.
Oregon at Michigan State – Rematch of last year’s intriguing game which Oregon easily won. This year’s game could be different without Marcus Mariota. Oregon will be favored, but never count out Michigan State. They return Connor Cook at Quarterback and an outstanding Offensive Line and should have another stout defense. Make sure and tune in for this one unless you are an SEC fan and think nobody else plays the game still.
Oregon State at Michigan – Both of these schools are starting over, but both have much to be excited about. Jim Harbaugh’s first home game back at his old school.
Washington State at Rutgers – This was a good game last year with Rutgers winning. The lack of defense may spring a shootout.
LSU at Mississippi State – The Bulldogs went into Baton Rouge and beat up the Tigers last year before LSU made a strong come back. This game should be a war and definitely worth watching. LSU still needs a Quarterback to step up but they have some serious talent at Running Back led by Leonard Fournette.
Georgia at Vanderbilt – Vanderbilt struggled last year, but could be better in 2015. The Georgia Bulldogs need a win here if they are going to make a run at the SEC East Championship.
East Carolina at Florida – This game should be interesting because East Carolina normally has a great offense and Florida has a tough defense annually. The question should be about the Gator offense.
Kentucky at South Carolina – Crucial early season game between two outside contenders in the SEC East. Kentucky could still be improving, but they lost some key members of their defense from 2014.
Houston at Louisville – Tom Herman will be in his second game and Louisville will be a tough chore for them.
UCF at Stanford – Stanford lost most of their defense, but they still looked tough in their Spring Game. Justin Holman is a talented Quarterback for the Knights and will be a challenge. The Knights have their own tough defense as well.
Temple at Cincinnati – Temple was not a bad team last season, but can they slow down Gunner Kiel and his Bearcat teammates. Gunner Kiel is one of the best Quarterbacks out there and if he has a big season, he could move up in the eyes of NFL scouts. If he stays healthy, he is a fun player to watch.
Boise State at BYU– Should be a good late night game.
September 17th Thursday:
Clemson at Louisville – Early season test for Clemson. The Tigers had the best defense in the country last year, but will be younger in 2015. They do return Quarterback Deshaun Watson, but he needs to stay healthy. Louisville will be battle tested by this point. Could be a great ACC game to watch and it’s better than Gr3y’s Anatomy, you have to admit.
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September 18th Friday:
Florida State at Boston College – The Boston College Eagles have often given the Seminoles a difficult time, particularly in Boston. More opportunities to watch the young Noles in action. By this time, we should really know if Everett Golson is going to be good or better at Florida State. He is an incredible talent, but that doesn’t always translate to greatness on the gridiron.
New Mexico at Arizona State – This probably won’t be a great game, but there are limited games to
watch on a Friday night unless you go to a high school game. Mike Bercovici should put up big early numbers here as the Sun Devil Quarterback, but look for back ups to get opportunities in this possible blow out.
Sept 19th Saturday:
Northwestern at Duke – Blue Devil coach David Cutcliffe failed at Ole Miss, but he has Duke playing pretty well. He will have to replace some good players of the last couple of seasons. Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern is fiery as a coach just like he was as a player. This could be a great ACC vs Big 10 match up.
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame – A lot of people think the Irish can do it this year and they are way over due. But, Georgia Tech will be really, really good and a tough challenge. Can the Irish stop the triple option of the Yellow Jackets? Should be a great game.
Nebraska at Miami – I have no idea what to expect out of Nebraska with Mike Riley as coach and Miami could be better this season with the experienced Brad Kaaya returning at Quarterback.
Illinois at North Carolina – This game could be a shootout if the Tar Heels cannot field a defense like last season. Bringing in Gene Chizek as Defensive Coordinator could make the Heels a good team.
Pittsburgh at Iowa – The Pitt Panthers have a new coach, but they return tough Running Back James Conner, Quarterback Chad Voytik and big play Receiver Tyler Boyd. Iowa is always stout on defense.
California at Texas – This actually could be a very good game. Sonny Dykes is an outstanding offensive football coach and he is in his third season at California. On the other side of the ball, Charlie Strong is an outstanding defensive football coach. Will offense or defense win? The difference will be between the Texas offense and the Cal defense.
Texas Tech at Arkansas – Arkansas blew out Texas Tech in Lubbock last year and the Pigs should be even better this year. We are still waiting to see on Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury. He is Mr Cool, but
the jury is still out on his head coaching ability. The Hogs should win big, but they are such a fun team to watch that a viewer should watch for that reason alone.
SMU at TCU – Old rivals. It’s the smooth sophisticated Dallas against the more country feeling Cowboy-ish Fort Worth. This is a huge mismatch, but the Ponies of SMU have stunned the Frogs of TCU before. Anything can happen in football.
Rutgers at Penn State – The Nittany Lions should handle Rutgers, but all the talk about Quarterback Christian Hackenberg wants me want to watch alone.
Ole Miss at Alabama – Wow, what a game last year. Clearly, this season will be different with the Tide winning. But, don’t blow off the Rebels so fast. They could give the Tide fits.
South Carolina at Georgia – The Bulldogs, the Gamecocks, the Volunteers and the Tigers of Missouri should be the leading contenders to win the SEC East. This could be a very interesting match up and will help determine a leader in the SEC East.
Auburn at LSU – Auburn roughed up LSU last year at home, but this season could be different. The Tigers of LSU are still hard to beat at home.
Stanford at USC – Big, big game in the West. These two schools don’t like each other much and that makes for an interesting game. USC should have a better team this year and so should Stanford. The Trojans won this game a year ago and should win it again, but not without a fight.
Florida at Kentucky – This was a great game a year ago with the Gators winning in Overtime. This year, with a brand new Florida coach could be different and it needs to be for Kentucky to have a good season and be competitive in the SEC East.
BYU at UCLA – The Bruins could have a good team this year and to take it to another level, they will need to win games like this. The Cougars counter with the return of Quarterback Hill.
Utah State at Washington – Like the UCLA Bruins, the Washington Huskies need to win games like this to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the Pac 12 North.
Louisiana Tech at Kansas State – Louisiana Tech has Florida Quarterback transfer Jeff Driskel. He was the #1 rated dual threat Quarterback in the country coming out of high school. It will be interesting to see if he can recover and still make something out of his career.
September 24th, Thursday:
Cincinnati at Memphis – Cincinnati Quarterback Gunner Kiel versus the Memphis Tigers’ own talented Quarterback Paxton Lynch. The Memphis Tigers have improved dramatically in recent seasons and this could be a great battle.
September 25th Friday:
Boise State at Virginia – I can watch Boise play on green turf.
Stanford at Oregon State – The Cardinal should win this easily, but it will be fascinating to watch the Beavers under a new coaching staff.
September 26th Saturday:
Indiana at Wake Forest – This game may be a dud, but Indiana should have a nice offense and Wake Forest has fielded good defenses.
Georgia Tech at Duke – The champions of the ACC Coastal over the past 2 seasons do battle here. Tech is a fun team to watch right now with Justin Thomas at Quarterback. Duke coach David Cutcliffe should have another good Blue Devil team.
LSU at Syracuse – This should be a golden opportunity for LSU Running Back Leonard Fournette to showcase his talents.
Rice at Baylor – The Baylor Bears are way better than Rice, but the Owl Quarterback Driphus Jackson is a talent.
Oklahoma State at Texas – These two schools have had some good games over the years and this year could be a great game to watch, also. Mason Rudolph of the Cowboys looks like an up and coming Quarterback prospect to keep an eye on and why not do it in this game?
Maryland at West Virginia – The Terrapins need to prove they belong in the Big 10 and West
Virginia usually has a very dangerous offense.
BYU at Michigan – The Cougars invade Ann Arbor and this is a game that the Wolverines need to win for their season to be decent.
UCLA at Arizona – Important game for both schools. Arizona won the South division of the Pac 12 last season. Bruins have visions of greatness in 2015 and this is a must win for both.
USC at Arizona State – Revenge factor could come into play here as the Sun Devils stole a game from the Trojans last season. Pac 12 South will be very competitive in 2015.
Utah at Oregon – Everybody is talking up Oregon again this season and Utah visits and could prove an early challenge.
California at Washington – The California Golden Bears should be pretty good in 2015 and this is a must win for both programs if they want to have a shot at challenging the Oregon Ducks for supremacy in the North.
Texas A%M at Arkansas – Depending on who you talk to but these two teams often have great games against each other. This year should be no different. The Hogs could be the surprise of the SEC West this year.
Mississippi State at Auburn – There’s literally no hype at all about Dak Prescott this year which is
really strange. He was talked about as another Tim Tebow last year. The Auburn Tigers should win this game and it could be an interesting battle.
Tennessee at Florida – Two schools that don’t like each other to the extreme. Florida has dominated, but this year should be all about the Volunteers.
Missouri at Kentucky – If Kentucky gets by Florida they will have their work cut out for them against Missouri. The Tigers have stunned the world the past two seasons and won the SEC East.
Just a couple more weeks and we are off and going on the 2015 season.
I can’t wait.