Ranking the 50 Must-See College Football Games of 2012

During the 2011 season, college football fans were treated to some outstanding regular-season games.

From the opening week game between Oregon and LSU to a comeback by Arkansas over Texas A&M, the season featured great games all the way to the last month of the season when LSU visited Alabama. 

This season features a lot of great match-ups that should be on every fan's watch list. Let's begin counting them down as we look at 50 games you must see this season.

No. 50: Texas at Oklahoma State (Week 5)

In the fifth week of the season, Texas travels to Oklahoma State. Last year, the Cowboys took care of business, but this may be a bit of a rebuilding season for OSU. The Longhorn defense should help Texas pull out a win. 

No. 49: Virginia Tech at Miami (Week 10)

Virginia Tech has been consistent over the past couple years and appears ready to make another run at the ACC title. In Week 10, the Hokies head to Miami for a huge conference showdown. 

No. 48: West Virginia at Texas (Week 6)

In the sixth week of the season, West Virginia heads to Texas as the Mountaineers get used to their new conference. This will be a classic match-up of a strong offense versus a strong defense, but ultimately, the Mountaineers offense should win out. 

No. 47: Nebraska at Ohio State (Week 6)

Ohio State will be serving a bowl ban this year, but that won't stop them from ruining other teams' seasons. 

The Huskers come to Columbus in Week 6 for a game that will feature two strong defenses, making this one a field-position battle.

No. 46: USC at Stanford (Week 3)

Last year, the Cardinal and Trojans went back and forth into overtime until Stanford finally prevailed. This year, the game heads to Stanford. Without Andrew Luck, the Cardinal hope the run game and defense can keep them in it.

No. 45: Wisconsin at Nebraska (Week 5)

The Badgers and the Cornhuskers both will be missing a key part of their offense.

For Wisconsin, the loss of QB Russell Wilson will hurt, but the running game should remain strong.

On the other hand, without RB Rex Burkhead, Nebraska will be hoping that someone else can step in and fill the void. 

No. 44: Ohio State at Penn State (Week 9)

When Ohio State and Penn State meet this year, both teams will have a new head coach. If the Nittany Lions want to keep this close, the defense must be at their best and the offense must step up their production. 

No. 43: Georgia at South Carolina (Week 6)

Georgia and South Carolina are both teams that could represent the East in the SEC title game. The winner of this Week 6 match-up will have a huge leg up in the divisional race. 

No. 42: USC at Washington (Week 7)

During the Pac-12 season, USC and Washington could deliver one of the highest-scoring games of the conference schedule. Both teams have the ability to score a lot and quickly, but the Trojans defense will end up making more plays. 

No. 41: Nebraska at Michigan State (Week 10)

Last year, Michigan State went on the road and laid an egg against the Huskers. This year, the Spartans play host. The Huskers running game versus the Spartans defense should make for a great match-up.

No. 40: West Virginia at Oklahoma State (Week 11)

In Week 11, the Mountaineers head out west to play Oklahoma State. One week before their game against the Sooners, West Virginia must make sure that they do not overlook the Cowboys. 

No. 39: Oregon at Oregon State (Week 13)

For four straight years, the Ducks have been laying a beat-down on the Beavers. Even with that said, this game has always been exciting and full of hate. 

While the competitive balance is out of whack in the Civil War, it still provided viewers some outstanding moments.  

No. 38: TCU at Texas (Week 13)

Also new to the Big 12 this year is TCU. Late in the season, TCU will make the trip to Austin to take on the Longhorns. It will be interesting to see how the Horned Frogs handle the tough Longhorns defense. 

No. 37: Oregon vs Stanford (Week 12)

For the past two years, the Cardinal have had hopes of taking over the Pac-12, and for two straight years, the Ducks have stepped in their way.

This season, Stanford will be without QB Andrew Luck, so they will hope that their running game can deliver the win that eluded Luck. 

No. 36: South Carolina at Clemson (Week 13)

South Carolina and Clemson renew their out-of-conference rivalry in Week 13. Most Clemson and South Carolina fans hope that this game has title implications, but either way, this will be an offensive shootout.  

No. 35: Washington at LSU (Week 2)

Last year, LSU took on Oregon on a less-than-neutral field, but this year they get to face another Pac-12 team at home. Washington will make the trip down to LSU. While the Huskies have a strong offense, they have never seen a defense like LSU's.

No. 34: Ohio State at Michigan State (Week 5)

Michigan State's win in Columbus last year was huge on their way to the Big 10 title game. This year, the Buckeyes head to East Lansing. This game will feature two of the best defenses in the Big 10.

No. 33: Ohio State at Wisconsin (Week 12)

Last year, these two teams went down to the wire until a deep pass with under a minute left secured a Buckeye win. 

This year, the game will take place at Camp Randall. While both teams will have their deficiencies, this will be one of the top games in the Big 10. 

No. 32: South Carolina at LSU (Week 7)

South Carolina hits the road in Week 7 to face LSU in Death Valley. 

The Tigers have an extremely fast defense that should be able to keep the Gamecocks offense in check for all four quarters.

No. 31: Florida vs Georgia (Week 9)

In one of the better rivalry games in the South, Florida and Georgia square off for a game that always has big implications in the SEC East. 

Both teams head into the season with aspirations of getting to the SEC title game, and if they hope to do so, they must come out of this game with a win. 

No. 30: Arkansas at Auburn (Week 6)

Arkansas' difficult schedule continues as they hit the road in Week 6 to take on Auburn. 

The Auburn defense will be tough, but it will be hard for them to contain Tyler Wilson through the air and Knile Davis on the ground. 

No. 29: TCU at West Virginia (Week 10)

Last season, the Mountaineers offense scored over and over again on Clemson—an image that haunts Tiger fans. TCU and Gary Patterson should have a good defense in 2012, and will need to bring their A-game as they head to Morgantown to take on West Virginia.  

No. 28: Clemson vs. Auburn (Week 1)

This opening-week game will feature the ACC's best and the national champs from 2010. Both teams will enter the game with strong defenses, but look for the Clemson offense to be the difference as Tajh Boyd to Sammy Watkins proves to be too much. 

No. 27: Texas A&M at Alabama (Week 11)

In Week 11, the Crimson Tide will be hosting the conference's newest member, Texas A&M. The Tide have an extremely strong team this season and will be a measuring stick for the Aggies in their first season in the SEC. 

No. 26: Georgia at Missouri (Week 2)

This is a must-see for college football fans. Missouri makes their first SEC appearance against one of the conference's stronger teams, Georgia. This game should give fans an idea of how the season will go for Missouri in their new conference. 

No. 25: Michigan vs Alabama (Week 1)

This Week 1 match-up features two of the sport's most popular names. While Michigan and Alabama have some of the largest fan bases, the game may not prove to be that entertaining. The Tide should roll to an easy victory over the Wolverines. 

No. 24: Kansas State at West Virginia (Week 8)

After the Wildcats' early-season game with the Sooners, they have to hit the road to take on the Mountaineers. 

This is a game that will feature two outstanding offenses, and they will not be shy about putting big scores up on the board. 

No. 23: Florida at Texas A&M (Week 2)

The Aggies also get things kicked off in conference play this week as they play host to the Gators. In this match-up, the Aggies will be measuring how they stack up in the SEC, and will try to get rid of some of the memories of last year's second-half collapses. 

No. 22: Florida State at Virginia Tech (Week 11)

Both of these ACC teams have lofty expectations as they enter the 2012 season. Florida State and Virginia Tech both have the talent on their depth chart to win the ACC, which will make this game even more exciting as we head towards the end of the year.

No. 21: Clemson at Florida State (Week 4)

These two teams met early on last year, and Clemson began to make their climb in the national standings with an upset victory.

During the 2012 season, they will meet in Week 4. While Florida State may have the advantage by being at home, Clemson should have the offense to make sure they leave with a big win. 

No. 20: Boise State vs Michigan State (Week 1)

This game has a lot of intrigue surrounding it because Boise State will be without QB Kellen Moore. It will be very interesting to see how the Broncos handle the Spartan defense and handle the road hostility. 

No. 19: LSU at Florida (Week 6)

In Week 6 of the season, the Tigers head on the road to visit The Swamp. While Florida is not quite back, they are making strides to improve, and the crowd will make life difficult for the Tigers.

While the Gators may be better, the Tigers likely will prove to be too much. 

No. 18: Michigan State at Wisconsin (Week 9)

During the 2011 season, the Spartans and Badgers wowed us on two separate occasions as the teams split the series.

Both teams take a step back at quarterback this year, but between the Badgers running game and the Spartans defense, we could be in for another outstanding match-up. 

No. 17: Notre Dame vs Navy (Week 1)

While this doesn't look like your typical big game, Notre Dame and Navy will be meeting up in the first week of the season oversees in Dublin, Ireland. For an Irish fan and college fans in general, it doesn't get much better than seeing the Irish play in Ireland. 

No. 16: Michigan vs Michigan State (Week 8)

The four-year run by the Spartans is making Wolverine fans anxious. This year, the Spartans head to Ann Arbor to renew the rivalry. It will be a classic battle of a strong Spartan defense against an explosive Michigan offense. 

No. 15: Oklahoma vs Texas (Week 7)

Every year, the Sooners and Longhorns get together for one of the best rivalry games in the nation. The Sooners appear to have the upper hand this year, but if the Texas defense can force some turnovers, it will come down to the wire. 

No. 14: Auburn at Alabama (Week 13)

The Iron Bowl is a game that will divide families in the South, and also has been the home to the last two national champions. 

As the game returns to the Tide's home field, Alabama will look to avenge the 2010 loss that occurred on the same field to Cam Newton and the Tigers. 

No. 13: Michigan at Ohio State (Week 13)

Michigan finally broke the stranglehold that Ohio State had on them last year. 

The game heads back to Columbus this year, and even without the addition of Urban Meyer to this rivalry, you rarely need much of a reason to sit down and watch these two go at it. 

No. 12: Washington at Oregon (Week 6)

Both Washington and Oregon will enter this game with explosive offenses that will not struggle to put up a lot of points. This game will go a long way in determining who wins the Pac-12 North. 

No. 11: Kansas State at Oklahoma (Week 4)

Early on, the Big 12 has one of its biggest games of the year. Kansas State has been on the rise and appears to be strong heading into 2012. 

In this head-to-head match-up with the Sooners, one team's chances at winning the conference will take a hit. 

No. 10: Arkansas at Texas A&M (Week 5)

Last year's game against Arkansas was another that saw the Aggies have a late-game meltdown. This year, Texas A&M should not lack motivation to take down the Hogs, and will have the chance to do so at home. 

No. 9: LSU at Texas A&M (Week 8)

In Week 8, the Tigers head on the road to face the Aggies. A game against LSU will be a huge test for Texas A&M, and will prove whether this team is ready to compete in the SEC or not. 

No. 8: Michigan at Notre Dame (Week 4)

The 2011 game between these two schools was crazy. Michigan was hosting their first night game at the Big House and found a way to win on a touchdown pass with under 10 seconds remaining. 

This year, the action heads to South Bend. If these two teams can deliver even half of what last year's game did, then we are in for a classic. 

No. 7: Notre Dame at Oklahoma (Week 9)

This year, the Notre Dame schedule gets a huge boost from their trip to Norman to take on the Sooners. If the Irish can make it through the first half of their schedule with one or no losses, this game could be even bigger than it appears on paper. 

No. 6: Virginia Tech at Clemson (Week 8)

In 2011, Virginia Tech and Clemson met up twice, and the Tigers put down the hammer both times. Clemson had an outstanding season and won the ACC title game. 

The Hokies head to Clemson for this year's match-up, and it may be another season in which we see these two play against each other twice.

No. 5: Oklahoma at West Virginia (Week 12)

After 11 weeks of football, the Big 12 title could be settled when the Sooners head on the road to take on the Mountaineers. 

This is West Virginia's first season in their new conference, and playing this game at home could be what they need to win the Big 12. 

No. 4: LSU at Arkansas (Week 13)

The Razorbacks only lost two games during the regular season last year, and it was to LSU and Alabama, both of which were road games. 

This year, the Hogs get them both at home. While they play the Tide early on, this late-season game will be huge in the SEC title race. 

No. 3: Alabama at Arkansas (Week 3)

In 2011, the Bama defense took care of business and limited the success that Tyler Wilson and the Arkansas offense could have.

The Tide have to head on the road this year. Wilson is ready, and so is Knile Davis, who was not available last season. 

Despite being in Week 3, this could be the SEC's biggest game. 

No. 2: Oregon at USC (Week 10)

Last year, USC's sanctions kept them out of the Pac-12 title game. 

In 2012, the Ducks head on the road to play the Trojans in Week 10. The best part about this game is that it is likely a preview of the Pac-12 title game. 

No. 1: Alabama at LSU (Week 10)

With the way that last year ended, these two teams are going to get after each other when they meet in Week 10. 

The Tide lost at home to the Tigers last year, but exacted their revenge in the national championship. With the game already set for nighttime in Death Valley, this will be a must-see game.