College Football's 10 Most Anticipated Neutral Site Matchups This Season

Neutral site college football games are supposed to somewhat neutralize home-field advantage for either team.

That's not always the way it works, but give athletic directors credit for trying.

The 10 games on this list are the "neutral site" games that you will want to pencil into your calendar and make sure you don't miss.

There are a couple of in-conference rivalry games, namely the Red River Shootout (Rivalry), but two of the top three on this list are non-conference match-ups between BCS foes.

So be prepared to grab the chips, turn up the volume and check out these top-10 "neutral site" match-ups.

10. Texas A&M vs. La. Tech: Shreveport, La., Aug. 30

Kevin Sumlin opens up his tenure as the Aggies head man with a deceptively difficult meeting with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs won the WAC last season, a fact that got lost in all the BCS noise.

They hung around in close games with Houston, USM and Mississippi State last season before getting hot and winning their last seven regular season games.

If you are looking for a way to pass the time on Thursday night, this one might be worth checking out.

9. USC vs. Syracuse: East Rutherford, N.J., Sept. 8

This is an early chance to see Matt Barkley and the Trojans' explosive offense in action and gauge their chances in the Pac-12.

Syracuse has been dreadfully inconsistent in recent seasons but has pulled off significant wins, including a win over Big East champ West Virginia in 2011.

Last season, when these teams met in L.A., the result was not pretty for the Orange, as the Trojans rolled to a 38-17 win.

This season will be more of the same.

8. Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech: Landover, Md., Sept. 29

If Cincinnati wins nothing else this season, they win the award for best player name.

Quarterback Munchie Legaux looks to lead a team that has the potential to win the Big East and play in the Orange Bowl.

This game could easily be a preview of said Orange Bowl, as the Hokies have an incredibly stout defense and Cincy has limited competition in the Big East.

Frank Beamer's squad returns 10 starters to a defense that was not overly stout in 2011 but should be very solid this season.

That said, if you don't watch for any of those reasons, make sure you do just so you can tell your grandkids you watched Munchie Legaux.

7. Notre Dame vs. Navy: Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 1

Yes, Notre Dame and Navy fans may be the ones most interested in this match-up, but to be completely truthful, the idea of a college football game in Ireland is intriguing.

Will Aviva Stadium be full?

Will Notre Dame be able to pull off the Irish flag cleats?

Will the Irish actually win the game, or will this be the beginning of another incredibly disappointing season?

Of course, many fans on the west coast of the U.S. will have no idea, as start time is 6 a.m. Pacific time.

6. N.C. State vs. Tennessee: Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 31

This is one of the first games of the season, and it will be a great introduction to the team that could challenge the expected SEC East front-runners, Tennessee.

The Volunteers, led by quarterback Tyler Bray and wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers, boast an extremely explosive offense, and Bray has shown the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

This will be an early test for the Vols, however, as N.C. State features a secondary led by corner back David Amerson, who led the nation in interceptions with 13 last season.

5. Georgia vs. Florida: Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 27

This series dates back to the first decade of the last century, and it has provided us with plenty of great match-ups.

This season's match-up will be a key mid-season meeting for both squads.

The Bulldogs have their sights on an SEC title, while the Gators, led by Will Muschamp, are trying to become relevant again.

These two teams have great defenses, especially Georgia, and we will likely see another great game such as last season's 24-20 win by the Bulldogs.

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, but he has a limited amount of proven targets at his disposal.

Whoever wins, you better believe fans will have a great time at "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party."

4. Miami vs. Notre Dame: Chicago, Ill., Oct. 6

This game, taking place at Solider Field in Chicago, reunites two teams that have, historically, had one of the best rivalries in sports.

Al Golden has taken over at the helm of a Hurricane squad that has been struggling immensely in recent seasons but still has plenty of talent to throw on the field.

As for Notre Dame, this is practically a home game and a chance to get a solid win against a BCS conference opponent.

That has not turned out well for the Irish in recent seasons.

This might not be a heavyweight bout for the national title anymore, but somebody will make a statement on national television against a significant opponent in this one.

3. Auburn vs. Clemson: Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 1

The last time we saw Clemson, the Tigers were getting pounded all over the field by West Virginia in a 70-33 Orange Bowl loss.

This will be our first chance to see if Tajh Boyd and company have recovered from that beating.

They will have to take the field against a hungry, young Auburn squad looking to become relevant in the loaded SEC again.

Gene Chizik is sure to emphasize to his guys the importance of this win, as they have to face both LSU and Arkansas in the month of September as well.

Clemson, however, is absolutely loaded yet again, and its explosive offense matched up against Auburn's stout defense should provide an extremely entertaining meeting.

2. Texas vs. Oklahoma: Dallas, Texas, Oct. 13

Yep, Kenny Stills is going to be "the man" in Oklahoma this season.

Ryan Broyles is gone, and Bob Stoops suspended his other top receivers earlier this month, meaning Stills is going to be catching passes all day long from Landry Jones.

Enter Texas.

The Longhorns have been down the past few seasons, not even sniffing the top of the Big 12 standings.

This season should be a tad better, but offensively, they will still struggle.

This game will be no different.

While Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor will make life miserable for Jones from their end positions, it's difficult to see Texas finding enough offensive continuity to keep up with the Sooners.

At least the loser can enjoy the fair.

1. Alabama vs. Michigan: Arlington, Texas, Sept. 1

This is easily the biggest game on this list.

While the Red River Shootout has the tradition, the rivalry and the Texas State Fair, this game, in Jerry's World, features two teams that could run the table after a win here.

Granted, it would be a difficult proposition for either team, but it's a very real possibility.

Brady Hoke's move to Ann Arbor has led to a resurgence in Wolverine football, capped off with an ugly, but still valid, win over Virginia Tech in last season's Sugar Bowl.

The Crimson Tide will be out to prove they can still shut down offenses the way they did last season during their BCS title run.

They will certainly have their hands full trying to contain Denard Robinson, who enters his final season looking to bring some validation to a college career that has seen Heisman hype deflate every season.

Besides all this, there is that little matter of a Big Ten, SEC rivalry, and you better believe a win in this game would get the Big Ten off to a good start in non-conference play, something that doesn't always happen.