The 25 Best Week 1 Games of College Football 2012

Fall camp is coming to an end, the polls have been released and the only thing left is to get the college football regular season started already. It seems like it was just yesterday when the Alabama Crimson Tide were crowned 2011 national champions, but none of that matters now, because a new season is about to begin.

The season will kick off next Thursday and will provide us with many good matchups throughout the weekend. Some teams will begin a new era in their new conference; others will be out to make a statement. And many other teams are just happy that the college football season is back.

With the first slate of games set to begin in a week, here are the top 25 matchups of Week 1.

25. Florida International at Duke

Duke isn't known for its football program, as the Blue Devils finished with a 3-9 record last season. But four of those losses were decided by a touchdown or less, including a one-point loss to Wake Forest and a four-point loss to Virginia Tech.

And while FIU may not be a household university yet, head coach Mario Cristobal is doing a fantastic job building that program in the Florida area.

Last season's meeting included over 900 yards of total offense and a four-point Duke victory. You really can't ask for much more than that when these two teams meet up again in Durham.

24. South Dakota State at Kansas

Kansas has seen some very dark days over the years, like not reaching a bowl game since 2008 and losing to teams such as North Dakota State back in 2010. While the Jayhawks should take care of South Dakota State fairly easily, it will be interesting to see how this team performs this year under head coach Charlie Weis.

Weis can turn Kansas into a contender, and quarterback Dayne Crist is good enough to make the Jayhawks very entertaining in 2012.

23. Bowling Green at Florida

Florida is a Top 25 team because of its defense, which was ranked eighth in the country last year. Bowling Green returns starting quarterback Matt Schilz, who has played well his first two seasons (over 3,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns last year).

The Falcons do return seven starters on defense, but they will have their hands full trying to upset the Gators in the Swamp. But then again, this is a Florida team that struggled against teams such as Furman, so you never really know what can happen.

22. Toledo at Arizona

Toledo was the eighth-highest scoring team in the country last season, averaging 42.2 points per game. The Rockets return the majority of that firepower, which will make them a very tough opponent for everyone on their schedule.  

Arizona, on the other hand, has lost many key players, but does have an offensive juggernaut in head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Could this game turn into an offensive shootout?

Even if it doesn't, the game takes place very late, so it at least gives you something to watch instead of those SportsCenter reruns.

21. North Texas at LSU

There is no way North Texas keeps this game within three touchdowns, but at least the first half of the game is worth checking out. How does this Tigers defense respond without Tyrann Mathieu around? Is quarterback Zach Mettenberger really somebody who can put this LSU offense over the top?

The Mean Green are nowhere near the caliber of LSU, but they will at least give us something to judge, as the Tigers will begin preparing for a tricky matchup against the Washington Huskies the following week.

20. San Diego State at Washington

San Diego State lost quarterback Ryan Lindley and running back Ronnie Hillman, who were the main reasons why the Aztecs were able to put together an eight-win season last season. Still, they return 11 starters and could be a surprise team in the MWC this year.

But this game is all about the Washington Huskies, who many believe should be a team in the Top 25. Quarterback Keith Price is a possible Heisman candidate, and he should use this game to help build his resume before the Huskies have to travel to LSU to take on the Tigers.

19. Southern Methodist at Baylor

Baylor, of course, lost quarterback Robert Griffin III and wide receiver Kendall Wright, but it does return 14 starters, including eight on offense. And projected starter Nick Florence is really not a bad replacement to fill RG3's shoes.

While the Bears may not be as exciting of a team as they were last season, they should remain a competitive team in the Big 12, especially with a talented recruiting class coming in.

As for SMU, running back Zach Line is going to be fun to watch once again and will use his senior season to help improve his NFL draft stock.

18. Oklahoma at UTEP

Oklahoma opens up the year as a Top Five team in the AP poll. The Sooners will be looking to put last season's horrible finish behind them.

UTEP has not won a bowl game since 1967. With this being Mike Price's last year on his contract, the head coach is fighting for his job in 2012.

There is almost no chance the Sooners lose this game, but we have seen some strange things happen to ranked teams on the road in recent years.

17. Hawaii at USC

Hawaii stands almost no chance on this game, especially after losing many key players, including quarterback Bryant Moniz. But the Trojans have gotten off to a slow start the last two seasons, nearly losing to Virginia in 2010 and barely squeezing out victories against Syracuse and Minnesota last season.

For the Trojans to hold onto their No. 1 ranking, they must get off to a faster start this time around.

16. Kentucky at Louisville

Louisville surprisingly opens the season as a ranked team, while Kentucky is trying to take another step forward under head coach Joker Phillips. The Cardinals are, of course, the favorites to win this game, and many like them to win the Big East. But you can never go wrong with a rivalry game in Week 1 of the regular season.

Not to mention, the game takes place on a Sunday afternoon. What else is there to do but watch a football game? 

15. Wyoming at Texas

Although Texas has struggled the last two seasons, it is receiving a lot of love from the polls early on.

The Longhorns should knock off Wyoming fairly easily, but don't sleep on the Cowboys in 2012. They were one of the most improved teams last season, and they have a playmaking quarterback in Brett Smith. He finished the year with over 3,000 total yards and was responsible for 31 touchdowns.

This game could get interesting if Wyoming is able to hang around.

14. Miami (FL) at Boston College

Any time Miami is on the schedule, it is a game worth checking out, regardless of how the program is doing.

The Hurricanes certainly have their fair share of questions. The team returns 10 starters, including just four on offense, but there is at least some talent to build around.

Meanwhile, Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani is officially on the hot seat after a brutal 4-8 season last year.

Can either one of these programs turn things around in 2012?

13. Miami (OH) at Ohio State

Forget about Miami of Ohio and what the RedHawks have to offer—which likely isn't much to begin with. This game is all about the Ohio State Buckeyes and Urban Meyer.

Although this program is banned from the postseason in 2012, the atmosphere in Columbus will be ridiculous for the season opener. And we are sure to see a much better product on the field this time around.

After the season the Buckeyes had last year, it will be a breath of fresh air for everybody to see this Ohio State program playing the football we all know it's capable of.

12. Notre Dame at Navy

Navy playing Notre Dame isn't exactly the most interesting matchup on paper, but it is a football game that will keep me occupied. Probably the coolest thing about this matchup is that the game will be played in Ireland.

So, what does that mean for us?

It means that we will get football at 9 a.m. ET! The game will be televised on CBS.

Make sure to go to bed early on Friday night. It's going to be a long day of football on Saturday.

11. Marshall at West Virginia

West Virginia has one of the more explosive offenses in the country, led by quarterback Geno Smith. There aren't many defenses that will be able to slow down the high-scoring attack, but Marshall does have some potential on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Rakeem Cato played well as a freshman and should only improve with a year under his belt. The Thundering Herd returns two of their top three running backs from last season, and they also have wide receiver Aaron Dobs, who made this catch last year.

Nobody is expecting the Mountaineers to lose this game, but a back-and-forth contest is always fun.

10. Southern Miss at Nebraska

Southern Miss had its best season in school history last year, winning 12 games and upsetting Houston for the C-USA title. Now, the Golden Eagles are going to have to retool, as they lost their head coach, starting quarterback and 10 other starters from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Nebraska returns the majority of a team that won nine games in its first season in the Big Ten Conference.

Have the Golden Eagles answered enough questions during the offseason to put together another solid team in Hattiesburg? It will certainly be worth watching to see if the Cornhuskers are in danger of possibly being upset.

9. Arkansas State at Oregon

Who doesn't enjoy watching the Oregon Ducks offense drop 60-plus points? Chip Kelly's club could play against a middle school, and there's a good chance I'd watch that game—if only to see De'Anthony Thomas break ankles and run 50 yards in under two seconds.

Arkansas State hired an offensive genius in Gus Malzahn, who should help turn the Red Wolves into an interesting Sun Belt team eventually.

This game will take place at 10:30 p.m. ET, so by the time you are ready to fall asleep, the game will already be out of reach.

8. Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech

Nothing better than ending a dreadful Monday with a good football game.

Georgia Tech seems to be that ACC team that nobody is talking about, despite winning eight games last season and returning 13 starters. And Virginia Tech, of course, is going to remain competitive, as it returns nine starters from a top-10 defense.

Three of the last four matchups between these two teams have been decided by seven points or fewer, and the outcome is certain to play a big role in the ACC Coastal division.

7. Texas A&M at Louisiana Tech

Texas A&M will have plenty of tests in its new conference, but taking a trip to Shreveport could provide the Aggies with a scare early in the season.

Louisiana Tech is a fast-paced team that can score points in bunches. It also returns many starters on the defensive line and defensive backfield, making the Bulldogs more than capable of an upset. 

This is one of the first games of the season, and there is no better way to begin the season than with a shocking upset.

6. Tennessee at North Carolina State

Usually, Friday night games include two teams that you have never heard of or games that are just flat-out boring. But Tennessee and North Carolina State are two squads that are on the rise and will likely make some noise in their respective conferences.

Tennessee returns 18 starters from last season and has an offense that should be fun to watch. The Wolfpack return seven starters on both sides of the ball and knocked off teams such as North Carolina, Clemson and Louisville last season.

This is probably the most underrated matchup of the week and is worth a look.

5. Ohio at Penn State

Do I really need to discuss why this is a must-see game?

It is the first game in Beaver Stadium since the sanctions were handed down to Penn State, and it will be the first game of the Bill O'Brien era.

While it will be interesting to see how the Nittany Lions perform in such an emotional contest, it is also worth nothing that Ohio is a solid team that returns the majority of its starters from a year ago.

A loss is really the last thing Penn State needs to start the year.

4. South Carolina at Vanderbilt

South Carolina is a sleeper contender for the SEC title, while Vanderbilt returns 16 starters from an extremely competitive 6-7 team. This game may be a lot closer than you think, especially with it taking place in Nashville.

This will be the first televised game of the season, as it takes place on Thursday. It will also give us a chance to see if Gamecocks running back Marcus Lattimore—a possible Heisman candidate—is fully recovered from last season's ACL injury.

3. Boise State at Michigan State

This will be one of only two games that features two ranked teams. Michigan State brings back eight starters on the defensive side of the ball—a unit that was ranked sixth in the country a year ago. Boise State brings back, well, not much.

If Chris Petersen can find a way to lead his Broncos to a victory in East Lansing, he should receive coach of the year votes right away. If Boise isn't able to keep up, it may be time to look for another underdog to crash the BCS party.

2. Clemson at Auburn

Auburn is looking to take another step in the right direction, as the Tigers finished with a solid 8-5 record last year with a very young team. The Clemson Tigers, meanwhile, are one of the favorites to win the ACC and can certainly be considered a dark horse for the national title.

The problem is that Auburn played this Clemson team close last season, and the Tigers will be without wide receiver Sammy Watkins—a sophomore who was a huge factor in last year's outcome. This game should be circled on your calendar for Week 1.

1. Michigan at Alabama

There is not a game this week that should receive anywhere near as much hype as this one. Both teams will enter the game as Top 10 teams in the AP poll, and the result is sure to shake up the rankings a bit.

Alabama will be out to prove that it is still a national contender after losing so many key players on the defensive side of the ball, while Michigan will be out to show that last season was no fluke.

We know all of the history that comes with both of these programs, And the game will be played in Cowboys Stadium, which just makes the game that much bigger. You can afford to miss many of the games on this list, but this is certainly not one of them.