Most Exciting Conference Games to Watch in 2023 College Football Season
Every game on the schedule is valuable, but conference games tend to take on another level of importance.
To reach the ultimate goal—a trip to the College Football Playoff—a league title is typically required. That's not always the case, as last season showed, but only seven of the 36 teams to quality for the CFP have not also hoisted a conference championship trophy.
Conference games, generally speaking, define the season.
Looking ahead to the 2023 campaign, seven league matchups stand out as potential formative results. These contests have a real chance to separate the contenders from pretenders on the national stage.
Sep. 23: Florida State at Clemson
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This season, the ACC Championship Game has a new format that is familiar around the nation. Instead of division champs playing for the league title, it'll be the two teams with the best winning percentage in conference play.
That's the long version of saying Clemson and Florida State might be headed for a rematch in December.
But a victory in September will be particularly valuable for one.
Clemson owns seven straight wins in the series, although FSU put a mild scare into the Tigers last year. Clemson's 20-point advantage in the fourth quarter dwindled to just six in the closing minutes.
This season, Florida State has a hugely experienced roster with arguably the strongest class of incoming transfers. Clemson, meanwhile, is shifting to a new quarterback (Cade Klubnik) and offensive coordinator (Garrett Riley) but stacked with talent, especially on defense.
The winner takes an early edge as the ACC front-runner.
Oct. 7: Oklahoma vs. Texas
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Last season? Not so exciting.
Texas absolutely steamrolled an Oklahoma team hoping—and failing—to survive without injured star quarterback Dillon Gabriel. While limiting OU to just 195 yards, Texas cruised to a 49-0 win.
This year's edition should be more competitive, of course, and includes the storyline of the schools' looming Big 12 exit. For decades, the Red River (Shootout) Rivalry has often been the conference's marquee game. And now, it's the final matchup as Big 12 programs—at least until all this realignment reverses in, like, 2047.
In seriousness, the showdown is a midseason measuring stick. Texas enters the year as the Big 12 front-runner, while OU is capable of a bounce-back season if the defense isn't dreadful again.
The clash at the Cotton Bowl will help OU or Texas move a step closer to a final stop in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Oct. 14: Oregon at Washington
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These two programs provided one of the Pac-12's most dramatic games last year. The second half included eight scoring drives, an interception, a game-changing turnover on downs and a last-second penalty that sealed Washington's 37-34 triumph at Oregon.
This encore, thankfully, is slated for mid-October, because we might need six regular-season weeks to get mentally prepared.
Really, though, this is the first matchup involving any two of Oregon, USC, Utah and Washington. Throughout the offseason, that quartet has often been labeled the Pac-12's top tier in 2023.
Similar to the ACC and Big 12, the Pac-12 title game features the league's best two finishers. So, again, there is a possibility this confrontation in Seattle is simply Round 1.
But there's also a decent chance both Oregon and UW are 5-0 and coming off a rest week with a massive Pac-12 win at stake.
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Oct. 21: Utah at USC
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Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, headlines a USC roster that has added marquee transfers and seemingly has the upside of contending for a national championship.
Know who's not scared of USC? Utah.
Last year, Utah toppled the Trojans twice. In mid-October, the Utes celebrated a 43-42 nail-biter thanks to a last-second touchdown and two-point conversion. Then during the Pac-12 title game, Utah won 47-24 behind a dominant all-around performance in the second half.
Utah has a difficult September slate, taking on Florida, Baylor (road), UCLA and Oregon State (road). There is no guarantee the Utes will have avoided a misstep or two along the way.
Even if that happens, however, Utah undoubtedly would love to hand USC a third straight loss and dent the Trojans' title hopes.
Nov. 4: LSU at Alabama
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If this rivalry didn't produce the best regular-season game of the 2022 season, it sure wasn't far away.
LSU shocked the college football world with a 32-31 triumph over Alabama and reached the SEC Championship Game in Brian Kelly's first season. The star-studded Bama squad—one with Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr.—left the campaign with no SEC or national hardware.
Hello, revenge game.
On the other side, though, LSU is loaded with experience on offensive and returns Jayden Daniels behind center. As long as a transfer-fueled secondary meshes well, the Tigers could have an excellent roster.
Although the SEC is set to eliminate divisions in 2024, there's one final season of the East and West.
And this showdown may decide the latter. Again.
Nov. 18: Georgia at Tennessee
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So, naturally, let's discuss the former—that is, the SEC East.
Georgia has controlled the series with Tennessee lately, taking six straight games and posting a margin of 14-plus points in each one. But the Volunteers, after an 11-win 2022 season, may be trending up.
Yes, there is a possibility that UGA—should it meet expectations—has sealed the division by this point of the season.
Tennessee may be a spoiler, though.
Whether that's upsetting the Dawgs and stealing the East throne or harming their pursuit of the College Football Playoff, the Vols could lean on home-field advantage to help shatter UGA's dreams of a national title.
You know, like what Tennessee did to Alabama last season.
Nov. 25: Ohio State at Michigan
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The most difficult part of this matchup, as always, is that a whole lot might happen between today and Nov. 25.
What if Michigan and Ohio State have already lost a couple of games apiece? That's not the anticipated outcome, sure, but "The Game" would probably be for bragging rights while, say, Penn State has locked up the East Division and a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Or, the stakes will be exactly the same as 2021 and 2022: Winner gets a shot at the conference title.
Although both programs ended up reaching the CFP last season anyway, that should not be expected—not until the postseason tournament expands to 12 teams in 2024, at least.
The stakes of this rivalry may continue to be season-defining.
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