Most Underrated College Football Games on 2013 Week 1 Schedule

The days of national championship contenders opening up the season against a community college are long gone. The first week this season features plenty of marquee matchups such as North Carolina-South Carolina, LSU-TCU, Georgia-Clemson, Alabama-Virginia Tech and Mississippi State-Oklahoma State.

While those games are sure to take up the majority of your college football weekend, there are plenty of others that also deserve a peek. They include conference showdowns, national championship contenders and a few big-name schools that will be on upset alert.

Make sure to clear room on your television schedule for these underrated contests.

North Carolina at South Carolina

USC at Hawaii

Date: Aug. 29

Time: 8:00 p.m. PT
 

Don't be so fast to rule out Hawaii just yet. OK, maybe the Warriors don't exactly have the best chance of winning this game, but they do have a chance of making it closer than expected.

After what happened last season with USC, it's never safe to assume that the Trojans are going to be this national contender that steamrolls their competition. It is also in Hawaii, the same place where the Warriors made things interesting in 2010 in a 49-36 defeat.

The chances of Hawaii upsetting USC for the first time in program history are slim to none. However, the Warriors do return 18 starters and will be playing in front of a packed house.

Whether you like it or not, this will be the last game you'll watch of opening day.

Toledo at Florida

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 12:21 p.m. ET

There isn't a game on the schedule that Florida can afford to overlook. It's a team that struggled last season against Bowling Green, Missouri, Louisiana-Lafayette and was upset by Louisville 33-23 in the BCS Sugar Bowl.

Florida isn't an elite program that can't be upset in the season opener, especially with an offense that continues to struggle to find its footing.

The Gators finished last season ranked 118th in the country in passing yards, which isn't good when matching up against a Toledo offense that returns nine starters, including 1,000-yard rusher David Fluellen.

The Rockets can score points in bunches if the opponent isn't careful. This matchup will have Florida on upset alert.

Louisiana-Monroe at Oklahoma

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 6:00 p.m. CT

Believe it or not, there are a couple of Sun Belt programs that are beginning to make some noise. Louisiana-Monroe is one of them, as it upset Arkansas last season and kept things close against Auburn and Baylor the following weeks.

The Warhawks return 17 starters, including eight starters from a high-scoring offense that averaged 33.8 points per game.

Oklahoma obviously has more talent, but it hasn't quite lived up to expectations the last few seasons. The Sooners have been shaky at times, having dealt with injuries and a defense that can be gashed for big plays. There are also concerns at quarterback for the first time in a while.

A Sun Belt-Big 12 matchup is one you can usually sleep on, but that isn't the case this time.

Washington State at Auburn

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 6:00 p.m. CT

Auburn and Washington State combined for a 6-18 record last season, which is why this matchup isn't one of the most anticipated on the schedule.

Still, this has the makings of a classic offensive showdown.

Gus Malzahn and Mike Leach are widely considered two of the brightest offensive minds in college football. They know how to score points in a hurry and don't bother apologizing for making the opponents defense look out of shape. There are sure to be plenty of fireworks in this game, and double-digit touchdowns are always a sight to see.

The winner of this game will also have much-needed momentum heading into the meat of the schedule. It's a big game for both teams.

Penn State vs. Syracuse (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.)

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Syracuse and Penn State is an intriguing matchup for many reasons.

These respectable programs have battled numerous times over the last 80 years and have provided many classic moments. Although Penn State has won 20 of the last 22 meetings, it's going to be interesting to see if head coach Bill O'Brien can keep the program afloat as he heads into the second season with NCAA sanctions.

As for Syracuse, this will be its first game as a member of the ACC, and it's safe to assume it would like to uphold the honor of its new conference in this matchup against the Big Ten.

While neither team is expected to blow the doors off the competition this season, this is easily one of the most appealing games in Week 1.

Wyoming at Nebraska

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT

Nebraska fans have likely already marked this game with a green check and are looking forward to the Sept. 14 rematch against UCLA. While that seems about right, this game could end up being a little scarier than expected.

Wyoming has one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country in Brett Smith. He's a dual-threat guy who threw for 2,832 yards and scored 33 touchdowns last season. He is a big play waiting to happen and could cause headaches for a Nebraska defense that finished the season on a horrendous note.

Besides having to prepare for a tricky quarterback, there's no reason why the Cornhuskers shouldn't win this game. Still, make sure to give it a glimpse or two to make sure you're not missing Michigan vs. Appalachian State 2.0.

Boise State at Washington

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 7:00 p.m. PT

Boise State and Washington will begin this season the same way last year's ended, with a matchup against one another. The last time these teams took the field was during the Las Vegas Bowl, a game Boise State won 28-26 in the final minutes.

Both teams return the majority of their starters and the expectations are fairly high on both sides. Washington is eager to break through the Pac-12 and compete for a conference title, while Boise State wants to continue to be that underdog team that sneaks into the BCS conversation.

The loser will dig itself an early hole. It doesn't get much better than having so much on the line during the first week of the season.

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt

Date: Aug. 29

Time: 8:15 p.m. CT

Nobody expects Ole Miss or Vanderbilt to win the SEC this season, but the future is looking awfully bright. Two to three years down the road, one of these teams could make a serious push for a conference title and flip the SEC on its head.

What better way to get the season started than a conference matchup between the two upcoming squads?

Both have tons of young talent and underrated NFL draft prospects. Vanderbilt wide receiver Jordan Matthews is one of the best players at his position, while Ole Miss linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche is one of the top defensive players in the conference.

This is the future of the SEC, it would be in your best interest to stay awake for this one.

Ohio at Louisville

Date: Sept. 1

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

What else are you going to do on a Sunday afternoon?

Make sure the lawn is mowed, the trash is taken out, and then clear the rest of your day to watch Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. You won't regret it one bit.

By the looks of the schedule, Louisville won't play a ranked team all season. Because of this, the Cardinals are pushed to the side as far as prime-time television is concerned. There will be a few more chances to watch them on Thursdays and Fridays, but that's about it. And games against Connecticut and UCF aren't exactly worth waking up the household.

Once the season kicks off and you're also occupied with the NFL, having a chance to watch Bridgewater and Louisville will be shoved to the back burner. Take advantage of the opportunity while you can.

Temple at Notre Dame

Date: Aug. 31

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
 

There is no way Notre Dame wasn't going to make the list. The Irish are the heart-attack kids and are always up to making games a lot closer than they should be. Last season, unranked Purdue, BYU and Pittsburgh fell one possession short against the Irish, and that doesn't include close wins over Michigan, Stanford and USC.

Regardless of what the spread of the game was, the talent on the opposing roster or where the game was played, Notre Dame had a hard time winning a game comfortably. There were questionable calls, late drives to save the day and plays you were forced to rewind a few times to make sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you.

Who cares that Temple has qualified for only two bowl appearances since 1980?

The odds of this being a close game are in your favor. That's really all you can ask for on a Saturday afternoon.

Follow @Randy_Chambers