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With the start of the 2009 college football season a little over a month away it's time to really start getting excited. The news is a little slow right now, so hopefully this list highlighting the biggest and best games of the upcomming year will hold you over until things start to pick up a bit. Are you ready for some football?
Honorable Mentions:
East Carolina at West Virginia (Sept.12), TCU at BYU (Oct. 24), Georgia Tech at Miami, FL (Sept. 17), Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Dec. 5), Notre Dame at Michigan (Sept. 12)
50. East Carolina at North Carolina (Sept. 19): Skip Holtz and Butch Davis clash in an intriguing in-state battle. If North Carolina is really serious about becoming a national player in the near future, they'll have to take care of a scrappy East Carolina team not afraid of playing anyone.
49. Boston College at Notre Dame (Oct. 24): Notre Dame gets a rebuilding but still pretty good Boston College team a week after facing the mighty Trojans, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how they fare. In any case, Boston College looks to continue its recent success in the Holy War; Charlie Weis and the Irish can't afford to let that happen.
48. Cincinnati at Oregon State (Sept. 19): A west coast/east coast battle between two pretty evenly matched teams from the Big East and Pac-10. Head coach Brian Kelly will want to prove that his Bearcats are no one-year wonder.
47. Florida State at North Carolina (Oct. 22): Florida State heads to Kenan Memorial for a Thursday night meeting with the Tar Heels. Both teams have ACC Championship aspirations and every win is huge in such a competitive conference, especially one over a team likely ranked in the top 25.
46. Army vs. Navy (Dec. 12): So maybe the Army-Navy Game hasn't exactly been what it once was lately, it's still one of the best traditions in all of college football. Army hopes to have a better showing in '09 than the 34-0 beat down Navy handed them last year; a win would be the Black Nights' first since 2001.
45. Florida State at BYU (Sept. 19): If the Mountain West wants to add some sustenance to their BCS argument, they'll need all the wins they can get over ranked BCS conference teams. Max Hall and BYU can help with a win over Florida State, but the Seminoles are for real this year and won't go down easily.
44. Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 21): Until head coach Rich Rodriguez figures out how to get the Wolverines back on track, this game just won't have that much allure to fans outside of Ohio State and Michigan. That doesn't mean the Buckeyes can overlook a Michigan team which should be improved by the end on November and playing in the friendly confines of the Big House.
43. BYU vs. Oklahoma (Sept. 5): If a win against Florida State is big for the Cougars, a win over Oklahoma would be astronomical. BYU shocking the Sooners would drastically change the college football landscape in '09, but you probably shouldn't hold your breath.
42. Miami, FL at Florida State (Sept. 7): The front portion of Miami's schedule has got to make them feel like a kid who slept through class all year and is now facing the start of finals. However a win over rival Florida State to kick off their journey through hell would have to feel pretty good. 
Could be a rough (or great) start for Hurricane fans.
41. North Carolina at Georgia Tech (Sept. 26): The Tar Heels visit Georgia Tech for an ACC Coastal division battle which will likely feature two teams ranked inside the top 20. In what figures to be an extremely tight divisional race, both teams realize the importance of any win over another Coastal foe.
40. Iowa at Penn State (Sept. 26): Calling Penn State's schedule soft might be giving it too much credit, with their two toughest conference games at home and a non conference schedule consisting of four sub par teams, they have to like their chances. After three straight weeks of virtual byes, the Nittany Lions get their first real test when Iowa comes to town. If Iowa is serious about contending for the Big Ten crown, stealing one in Happy Valley would be a great start.
39. Florida State at Florida (Nov. 28): What used to be a highly anticipated rivalry game has become lopsided in the Gators' favor recently with Florida winning the last five games including 2008's 45-15 drubbing. Besides a road trip to LSU, there's really not much standing in the way of an undefeated regular season for Florida. Florida State would be the last obstacle in that path; the Seminoles only chance to stun the Gators would be to play mistake-free football and hope for some luck.
38. Oklahoma at Nebraska (Nov. 7): Bob Stoops and the Sooners travel to Lincoln to take on an improved Nebraska team in what could be a preview of the Big 12 championship. The Cornhuskers have a good defense but Oklahoma will score points and Nebraska probably still lacks an offense capable of keeping up.
37. Auburn at LSU (Oct. 24): LSU catches Auburn a week after squaring off with Florida and could be on upset alert in the Tiger Bowl. Auburn should be a lot better than last year's disappointing team and could surprise LSU in Baton Rouge if the Bayou Bengals aren't focused come game time.
36. Pittsburgh at NC State (Sept. 26): The Wolfpack host Pittsburgh in what could be a terrific game between two teams that many are calling this year's sleepers. Both teams are a lot better than advertised and are going to turn some heads in '09. The Panthers' trip to NC State should provide a great Big East/ACC game.
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