Must-Watch Matchups: Week 1's Biggest Games in College Football

July 29, 2024

By Carter Rennyson

With just under a month remaining in the college football offseason, let’s look at the biggest games in the first week of the season. This is a huge season for college football with all of the conference realignment and an expanded playoff. This season should be one of the best in history. Here are six games that kick off one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory.

Florida State vs Georgia Tech - Sat. August 24th at 12:00 PM

The Seminoles and Yellow Jackets begin their respective seasons in Dublin, Ireland. College GameDay will be live to signify the beginning of the season. Mike Norvell and the Seminoles are hungry to show the world they are one of the top teams in the country, while the Yellow Jackets are looking to build off a 7-6 season and bowl game victory. This Week 0 matchup is the most enticing and will give football fans a taste of what’s to come over the next five months.

Clemson vs Georgia - Sat. August 31st at 12:00 PM

Clemson travels to Atlanta to face the dangerous Georgia Bulldogs in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Georgia is eager to prove to the college football world that they are still the most feared team in the country. The Bulldogs stumbled in the SEC Championship Game last December and missed out on the chance at a three-peat. However, the Clemson Tigers will look to start the 2024 season off strong with a statement victory in enemy territory. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have a strong roster that will compete with Florida State and Louisville for the ACC crown.

Penn State at West Virginia - Sat. August 31st at 12:00 PM

Drew Allar and Penn State travel to Morgantown to face Garrett Greene and the Mountaineers in Week 1. Penn State is one of the favorites to win the Big Ten, while West Virginia is a scrappy team that can compete in the Big 12. Penn State has always been a good team against opponents not named Michigan and Ohio State, but they need to start winning big games before they can be mentioned in the National Championship conversation. West Virginia and the home crowd in Morgantown will look to defend home field advantage against their rivals from the North.

Miami at Florida - Sat. August 31st at 3:30 PM

Florida hosts their in-state rivals in The Swamp to open the 2024 season. The Gators have one of the toughest schedules in the country and need a strong start to the season to gain some momentum. The Hurricanes are one of the top teams in the ACC, but playing at Florida is no easy task. Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes will need to be ready for a battle with the Gators. Billy Napier is entering his third season as head coach and is looking for his first winning season. This will be an exciting matchup in the latest entry of the Battle of Florida.

Notre Dame at Texas A&M - Sat. August 31st at 7:30 PM

The Fighting Irish and Aggies face off for the first time since 2001. The Aggies will have the 12th man behind them at Kyle Field for Mike Elko’s first game as head coach. Coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are one of only three independent teams in the country. With no conference championship, Notre Dame has a disadvantage under the new 12-team playoff. However, this has not deterred the Irish in the past and they should be one of the top teams in the country nonetheless. The Aggies enter a new era under Mike Elko and will look to start it off with a bang against one of the top programs in the country.

USC vs LSU - Sun. September 1st at 7:30 PM

In Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, the Trojans and the Tigers will face off in prime time on Sunday night. Lincoln Riley no longer has Caleb Williams, but the Trojans should still have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Brian Kelly and the Tigers also lost a former Heisman winner in Jayden Daniels. But the Tigers gained new defensive coordinator Blake Baker from Missouri and will have a strong defense to stifle the Trojan offense. Garrett Nussmeier is ready for the starting quarterback job and will lead the Tigers into Sin City looking for a statement victory.

Football season is just around the corner, and this season should be one of the best in history. A new 12-team playoff, conference realignment, and the new College Football video game have only increased the desire for college football. The AP rankings will be released on Monday, Aug. 12, which will give more insight into what teams are primed for the playoffs.