Nine key games in the first three weeks of the college football season
Staying cool and hydrated are the keys to surviving the brutal summer months separating all of us from the start of the 2023 college football season.
But the Bowl Subdivision is already making plans for September. This season is set to kick off with a series of high-profile games in and out of conference play, many pitting teams with genuine hopes of reaching the final four-team bracket of the College Football Playoff era.
One team set for a quiet start is two-time defending national champion Georgia, which will face an unimposing early-season slate of Tenessee-Martin, Ball State, South Carolina and Alabama-Birmingham. That's good news for the Bulldogs as they rebuild at quarterback and replace several key contributors on defense.
So you'll have to look elsewhere in September to find the best matchups in the FBS. Here are the nine games you won't want to miss in the first three weekends of the 2023 season:
Florida at Utah, Aug. 31 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
That Florida beat Utah last September was one of those non-conference results that made very little sense at the end of the regular season, when Florida was limping toward a losing finish and the Utes were getting set for the Rose Bowl. One year later, the Gators need another win against Utah to spark Billy Napier's tenure while the Utes wait to see if quarterback Cam Rising can recover from his knee injury suffered against Penn State and be ready for the opener.
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Colorado at TCU, Sept. 2 (noon ET, Fox)
The Deion Sanders era gets underway against one of the best teams in the country. What should we expect? There are so many question marks around Colorado's roster and Sanders' ability to get a remade team up to speed that it's nearly impossible to peg just how the Buffaloes will look come September. As of now, picking the Horned Frogs to win by a couple feels like the safe bet.
MAJOR MAKEOVER: How Deion Sanders has flipped Colorado's roster
Boise State at Washington, Sept. 2 (3:30 ET, ABC)
Washington will keep flying under the radar until the Huskies can put together enough impactful wins to make voters and the playoff selection committee pay attention. While those opportunities will come league play, this home game against Boise State is extremely meaningful; losing to the Broncos would damage the Huskies' reputation and that of the broader Pac-12.
LSU at Florida State (in Orlando), Sept. 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
LSU won the SEC West in Brian Kelly's first season. What can the Tigers do for an encore? With improved depth, help from the transfer portal and several starters ranked among the very best in the conference, LSU is built to take another step forward as a legitimate playoff contender. But the same can be said of the fast-rising Seminoles, who have taken huge strides under coach Mike Norvell and have huge postseason aspirations of their own.
Oregon at Texas Tech, Sept. 9 (7 p.m. ET, Fox)
Almost anything could happen in a new-look Big 12 that adds in four members from the American, including a Texas Tech conference championship. While the Red Raiders are mostly counted among the league's dense second tier, Tech's improvement to eight wins under Joey McGuire in his first season could yield another breakthrough in 2023. For Oregon, this is by far the toughest test of a September slate that could leave the Ducks at 5-0 when facing Washington on Oct. 14.
Nebraska at Colorado, Sept. 9 (Noon ET, Fox)
One week after his official debut, Sanders gets set for his home opener against Colorado's longstanding rival for time when the schools were in the Big 12. It's the second Power Five matchup in a row for new Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, following Minnesota, and the Cornhuskers' efforts to snap an embarrassing bowl-less streak would demand no worse than a split.
REBUILDING PROJECT: Is Rhule the man to get Nebraska back?
Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 9 (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Iowa State hopes to rebound after an unexpectedly weak 2022 season that marked coach Matt Campbell's second losing finish in seven years with the program. The annual rivalry against Iowa gives the Cyclones an early chance to reboot and regain some footing in the Big 12 race. But they might have a tough time with the Hawkeyes, the early favorite in the Big Ten West.
Texas A&M at Miami, Sept. 9 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Two programs licking their wounds after dreadful 2022 seasons get a chance to make some national noise against a high-profile non-conference opponent. Miami will definitely be better in Mario Cristobal's second year, though the Hurricanes have several rungs to climb before joining Clemson and Florida State atop the ACC. For A&M, a loss would deal another brutal blow to Jimbo Fisher's declining job security.
Texas at Alabama, Sept. 9 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Last year's classic saw Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide escape with a 20-19 win. As they get set for the rematch in Tuscaloosa, ask yourself this: Texas clearly improved this offseason, but did the Longhorns make the gains necessary to take down one of the premier programs in the sport? Just imagine the fallout from a win, which would immediately make Texas one of the top contenders for the national championship while dealing a crushing blow to the Tide's playoff goals.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama-Texas lead college football biggest early games this season
