Fret not, college football fans; the sport’s return is mere days away. To help hold you over, we looked at every single-game schedule to find the date everyone should have circled on their calendars.
While Rivalry Week (Week 14) and Conference Championship Week (Week 15) hold the most weight, there is one midseason Saturday that stands above the rest.
October 12 College Football Schedule May Be One of Best Ever
Oct. 12, 2024, could go down as one of the best single-day slate of games in college football history. Just look at what we will be treated to in the thick of conference play:
- No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon
- No. 6 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU
- No. 8 Penn State at No. 23 USC
- Florida at No. 15 Tennessee
- No. 18 Kansas State at Colorado
- No. 4 Texas at No. 16 Oklahoma
“One of those games isn’t like the others.”
Yes, Colorado has drawn the ire of many fans outside of the state — and in it, considering their rivalry with Colorado State — but Deion Sanders has a talented team in tow, even beyond projected first-round picks QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter.
Meanwhile, Kansas State can draw a crowd on its own with one of the deadliest backfields in the nation: QB Avery Johnson and RBs DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards. But the fun doesn’t start or even end with this new-look Big 12 clash.
Ohio State-Oregon is the headliner, as it could be an early look at the Big Ten Championship. Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith vs. Dillon Gabriel, Jordan James, Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart, and Traeshon Holden? Yes, please!
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Ole Miss-LSU provides even more potential for fireworks, with the Rebels bringing in one of the best transfer classes in the nation and the Tigers handing the keys of the offense to the big-armed Garrett Nussmeier.
However, the defensive side will also be fun to watch for both teams, with Ole Miss adding DT Walter Nolen and EDGE Princely Umanmielen and LSU hiring former Missouri DC Blake Baker to scheme up the likes of EDGE Bradyn Swinson and LB Harold Perkins Jr.
Penn State-USC is another new Big Ten clash worth gracing your TV, as both could push for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. While the teams have only faced off three times this century, the Trojans have taken home each victory, adding some historical intrigue.
James Franklin vs. Lincoln Riley. Drew Allar vs. Miller Moss. It’s a game featuring some of the most polarizing coaches and players in the sport this season. And no matter how you view either side, points will be scored — USC ranked third in the nation in points per game last season (41.8), while Penn State was 12th (36.2).
Florida may enter the 2024 season unranked and with the most difficult strength of schedule, but it’s still a talented SEC team. On the other side, we know Josh Heupel’s Vols are going to obliterate the scoreboard, especially if Nico Iamaleava proves to be the “Chosen One.”
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Even if this game turns one-sided, there’s the “Billy Napier is on the hot seat” angle for fans to discuss.
Last but not least is the Red River Showdown, which will mean more in 2024, with Texas and Oklahoma now in the SEC. Steve Sarkisian’s squad is a favorite in the conference, but they’ll have to navigate two season-ending injuries in the RB room.
Similarly, the Sooners just lost Jayden Gibson for the year, which will test their WR depth on an offense that already has questions along the offensive line. At first glance, the Longhorns should win … easily … but you can never guarantee a result in rivalry battles.
While Oct. 12 is the day to decline wedding invitations, cancel all appointments, and put your phone on airplane mode, Sept. 21 deserves some recognition as a semi-close second:
- No. 12 Utah at No. 17 Oklahoma State
- No. 24 NC State at No. 14 Clemson
- No. 15 Tennessee at No. 16 Oklahoma
- No. 22 Kansas at West Virginia
- No. 23 USC at No. 9 Michigan
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