15 Most Anticipated Matchups Remaining on 2014 College Football Schedule
Some of the most eagerly awaited games of the 2014 college football season—Michigan State at Oregon, for example—are already behind us, but so many still remain.
What's more, so many new ones have materialized based on the results of the first three weeks. Some games, we have known for months would be watershed moments in the season; others, we have only just realized.
This list is a combination of the two, skewing heavily toward games with potential College Football Playoff implications. Other factors taken into account included recent series history, personnel matchups and potential off-field narratives worth watching.
For obvious reasons—i.e., placing five teams inside the current Associated Press Top 10—the SEC West showed up often, but there are plenty of games from outside the nation's best division, too.
Sound off below and let us know what else you're looking forward to.
Clemson at Florida State
1 of 15
When: Saturday, Sept. 20
Recent History
Florida State has won the past two matchups, combining to score 100 points in the process. Last year, it marched into Memorial Stadium for what long stood as its signature win of the season, a 51-14 demolition that wasn't even as close as the final score might indicate.
The winner of this game has won the past five ACC Coastal division titles and the past three outright ACC Championships.
Why It Matters
Entering the season, this looked like it would be Florida State's hardest game. Recent developments with another team on the Seminoles' schedule (which we'll get to in a bit) might change that, but this is still one of the only realistic pitfalls for the defending champs.
Clemson, meanwhile, needs a win to avoid dropping to 1-2 on the season and 0-2 against FBS opponents. Granted, most teams would fall at Georgia and Florida State, but that would still be a bad look for a group that fancied itself a playoff contender in August.
Especially now that Jameis Winston has been suspended for the first half for shouting expletives on campus, per Bob Ferrante of Bleacher Report, this game might go down to the wire.
Alabama at Ole Miss
2 of 15
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Recent History
Alabama has won its past 10 games* against Ole Miss, including last year's 25-0 shutout. The last time it was in Oxford (2011), it won 52-7. Combined, it has won the past three meetings 110-21.
Ole Miss rode high into last year's game, having just beaten Texas in Austin, 44-23. It was 3-0 and averaging 34.7 points per game, 490 yards per game and 6.18 yards per play. Alabama held it to zero points, 205 total yards and 3.60 yards per play.
Combined, the Rebels have gained just 1,019 yards on 300 plays against Alabama since 2009, an average of 3.40 yards per play.
Why it Matters
Barring something unforeseen against Memphis in Week 4, Ole Miss will ride high into this game for a second straight year—only this time, it will get to play at home. The Rebels have coasted for most of this season, but they struggled to put up points in the first half against Boise State. This will be their first chance to prove they have fixed some flaws, and, in turn, that they are serious playoff contenders.
Alabama will be coming of an ostensible home win over Florida, but the Gators are big and strong enough to test it. Either way, an early loss would cripple its playoff chances, and Ole Miss has a defense and a crowd that should rattle quarterback Blake Sims in his first true road game as a starter.
*Not excluding wins that were vacated after the fact.
Stanford at Notre Dame
3 of 15
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Recent History
Stanford has won four of the past five meetings, including a 27-20 home win in 2013. Unless either team loses a game it should win between now and Oct. 4, this will be the fourth consecutive meeting where both teams are ranked in the AP Poll.
The Irish beat Stanford 20-13 two years ago, the last time it came to South Bend. That game is best remembered for the controversial goal-line stand that decided the outcome in overtime, where it appeared running back Stepfan Taylor had crossed the plane before his knee was down, but the whistle had blown the play dead.
Why It Matters
Unless you have severely overrated Michigan, this will be Notre Dame's first real test of the season. We'll learn a lot more about Everett Golson, Brian VanGorder's aggressive defense and Notre Dame's overall viability as a playoff contender.
Stanford, meanwhile, cannot afford a second loss if it wants to make the playoff. Even though the game is out of conference, and Stanford would still hold its fate against Oregon in the Pac-12 North in its own hand, dropping multiple games before the second week of October is a bad look. That holds extra true if loses at Washington the week prior.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Oregon at UCLA
4 of 15
When: Saturday, Oct. 11
Recent History
Oregon has won the last five meetings and 10 of the last 12. The past three times these teams have met, the Ducks have averaged more than 50 points per game and won by a combined score of 151-58.
Last year, UCLA hung close for two quarters in Eugene, tying the game at 14 before halftime on a touchdown by tight end Thomas Duarte. Oregon scored 28 unanswered points in the second half, though, including 21 in the fourth quarter to win in a blowout, 42-14.
Why It Matters
Marcus Mariota is thrust back into the spotlight against—we hope—a healthy Brett Hundley. Before the season, I ranked this the No. 1 quarterback matchup on the schedule, and the outcome could go a long way in determining Heisman resumes and NFL draft orders.
The game also matters because…well, it matters. Oregon and UCLA are the two highest-ranked teams in the Pac-12, and even though they could conceivably meet again in the conference title game, the winner of this meeting will gain a leg up in its quest to make the playoff.
Notre Dame at Florida State
5 of 15
When: Saturday, Oct. 18
Recent History
Notre Dame and Florida State have met just once in the past decade: three seasons ago in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Seminoles won that game 18-14, capping off Jimbo Fisher's second season as head coach with a win and Brian Kelly's with a loss.
Of course, both teams went on to win 12 games the following year.
Why It Matters
If it beats Clemson in Week 4, Florida State will not have many ranked teams left on its schedule. Home dates against Notre Dame and (maybe) Florida are the only real obstacles to keep it from making the playoff, especially considering the state of the ACC Coastal.
Notre Dame's lot come Oct. 18 remains to be seen, but it's likely to be fighting for a spot in (at the very least) one of the New Year's bowls, and beating Florida State in Tallahassee would go a long way towards getting there. Even playing the Seminoles close on their home field would shine a positive light on the Irish.
Texas A&M at Alabama
6 of 15
When: Saturday, Oct. 18
Recent History
If you only started watching in 2012, you would think this is the best rivalry in college football. Both matchups between Texas A&M and Alabama since the Aggies arrived in the SEC have been classics.
Two years ago, Johnny Manziel led A&M to an upset in Tuscaloosa, announcing himself to the world with his bobbled-football touchdown in the first quarter. Last year, Alabama returned the favor with a 49-42 win at Kyle Field, beating the Aggies despite allowing 628 yards of offense (562 from Manziel).
Why It Matters
Four weeks ago, it seemed like this game would be all about the recent history. About whether Alabama could keep up with Kevin Sumlin's offense. About whether Kenny Hill could approximate Manziel. About whether it would live up to 2012 and 2013.
Now, all of those questions remain, but the game has taken on added meaning. Texas A&M's Week 1 upset at South Carolina and rise to the national Top 10 have given the matchup playoff implications, making it, in some ways, even more important than the last two meetings.
Alabama at Tennessee
7 of 15
When: Saturday, Oct. 25
Recent History
Alabama has won seven consecutive meetings with Tennessee, the last four in particularly dominant fashion. The Vols have not stayed within 30 points of the Crimson Tide since 2009, losing by a combined score of 167-39 in the four most recent encounters.
That 2009 game, however, was one of the most memorable in series history. Terrance "Mount" Cody blocked a pair of fourth-quarter field goals, including a 44-yarder as time expired, to help the No. 1 Crimson Tide avoid losing to unranked Tennessee in Tuscaloosa, 12-10.
Why It Matters
"The Lane Kiffin Bowl," as this game is sure to be billed in the preceding week, will feature Kiffin's return to Knoxville after one year coaching the Vols in 2009 (the year of the 12-10 loss). Now Alabama's offensive coordinator, Kiffin fled Tennessee to become the head coach at USC, spawning what Matt Hinton (then with Yahoo! Sports) called "just shy of a torch-and-pitchfork riot" by angry fans.
Tennessee will be a heavy underdog, but it proved against South Carolina last season that it can still ride Neyland Stadium to an upset. It almost beat Georgia at home, too. Plus, Alabama will be coming off road games at Ole Miss and Arkansas and a home game against Texas A&M, and looking ahead to the following week at LSU.
This is a good spot for the Vols to catch Alabama napping.
Alabama at LSU
8 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Recent History
Alabama has won the last three meetings, but LSU won the two meetings before that, including the 9-6 overtime win in Tuscaloosa that preceded their rematch in the 2012 BCS National Championship.
Last year, the game was tied with less than 20 minutes remaining, but Alabama pulled away with 21 unanswered points for a deceptively lopsided 38-17 win. The year before that—the last time Alabama came to Baton Rouge—LSU outgained the Tide by more than 100 total yards but lost, 21-17, after a late missed field goal set up AJ McCarron to drive 72 yards in five plays and throw the game-winning touchdown pass to T.J. Yeldon with 51 seconds left to play.
Why It Matters
It matters because it always matters. Even when they have been down the last few years, Les Miles' teams always play Alabama tougher than anyone. No matter how young the LSU offense or vulnerable the LSU defense, these games are always deadlocked in the second half.
Any time either of these teams has to lose, it has inherently big national implications. This year—with both teams currently in the Top 10—does not appear to be any different.
Baylor at Oklahoma
9 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Recent History
Prior to 2011, this series had been colored by epic Oklahoma domination. The Sooners had won all 20 meetings between 1901 and 2010, typically in blowout fashion.
But Robert Griffin III changed that with an upset three years ago, and things have never been the same. Oklahoma won by eight, 42-34, the following season but lost in a blowout, 41-12, in Waco in 2013.
Why It Matters
Baylor and Oklahoma are the undisputed class of the Big 12. There are landmines along the way on both teams' schedules, but there's a high probability that this game decides the conference champion.
Depending on how each team navigates those other landmines, it could also decide one of the four teams in the CFP. Especially if the Sooners defend home turf—something they have been uniquely great at under Bob Stoops—it's easy to see them in the national semifinal.
Baylor has the best chance of ousting them from that position.
Ohio State at Michigan State
10 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Recent History
Michigan State beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game last season, handing Urban Meyer his first loss in 25 games as the Buckeyes head coach. From there, he promptly lost two of his next three, throwing his tenure into whack after such a promising start.
The last time Ohio State came to East Lansing was in 2012, a season in which it finished 12-0 (and Michigan State finished 7-6). Despite that, it took some late-game heroics from Braxton Miller to escape with a win, 17-16, against an always tough Pat Narduzzi defense.
Why It Matters
Michigan State and Ohio State are still the two best teams in the Big Ten. Despite early losses to Oregon and Virginia Tech, respectively, they still have the most talent on their rosters, great coaching and the best chance of representing this conference in a CFP bowl.
Especially if Oregon makes the playoff, the Spartans still have an outside chance of appearing in a national semifinal. The woes of the Big Ten will hurt them, but if they roll through their schedule convincingly, it would not be a shock for them to sneak in. Beating an Ohio State team that's littered with blue-chip talent would go a long way towards doing just that.
Texas A&M at Auburn
11 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Recent History
Texas A&M ravaged Auburn in 2012, but so did a lot of teams. Last year's game, however, was one of the best of the entire season.
Auburn was barely ranked when it upset Texas A&M in College Station, riding 379 yards of rushing offense to a 44-41 win. A late sack by Dee Ford ended Manziel's comeback attempt just shy of the end zone, launching Auburn to an SEC title and almost a national championship.
Why It Matters
You like shootouts? Good. Last year's game featured 1,217 total yards, and though it's unrealistic to expect a repeat of that, it's quite realistic to expect something similar. Both of these offenses have hummed along through three weeks of the season, and both defenses—while having shown signs of improvement—are difficult to trust.
Like almost any game on the SEC West schedule, this matchup will also play a part in the playoff discussion. Assuming a two-loss team will not make the national semifinal—which is far from guaranteed but seems like a fair assumption—whoever loses this game will have to run the table elsewhere to keep their hopes alive.
Auburn at Georgia
12 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 15
Recent History
Georgia has won six of the last eight meetings, but Auburn won in 2013, riding one of the craziest moments in the history of "The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" to a 43-38 win (and an eventual SEC title).
The play in question, of course, was a Hail Mary from Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis on a desperate 4th-and-18 with less than 40 seconds left to play. The heave deflected of a Georgia safety and landed in Louis' hands for an untouched 73-yard score to win the game.
Why It Matters
Georgia no longer controls its own fate after losing at South Carolina last weekend, but does anyone really think the Gamecocks will run the table? Mark Richt's team still has a good chance to win the SEC East, but defending home turf against Auburn (and winning the Cocktail Party against Florida) is the ultimate key to getting there.
Auburn, as mentioned on the previous slide, is fighting for a playoff spot despite playing in a stacked SEC West. There are enough pitfalls on its intradivisional schedule that it cannot afford to fall to a team from the East, no matter how good that team is.
Stanford at Oregon
13 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 1
Recent History
The narrative says that Stanford is Oregon's kryptonite, and the results of the last two meetings support that. The Ducks' normally high-powered offense scored 14 points in an overtime loss two seasons ago and zero points in the first 49 minutes of last year's deceptively lopsided 26-20 defeat.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota, in particular, has been stymied by the Cardinal defense, posting a raw QBR of 44.9 in 2012 and 46.5 in 2013. Those are the two lowest scores of his career.
Why It Matters
The narrative also says that Oregon solved its "physical defense problem" against Michigan State a couple weeks ago, but the suggestion of that premise is reductive. Yes, Oregon scored 46 points against a big, strong, disciplined Michigan State defense, but only by flawed calculus does that mean it has also solved Stanford.
It hasn't. (Or at least it hasn't proved it quite yet.)
The Cardinal defense is rebuilt, but it looked as good as ever against USC a couple weeks ago (despite falling short on the scoreboard). After allowing a long touchdown drive on the Trojans' first possession, Stanford barely allowed it to breathe for the rest of the game, throwing a supposedly fast-paced offense out of whack.
If it repeats that performance—and its performance of the past two seasons—against Oregon, it could have massive playoff implications.
Auburn at Alabama
14 of 15
When: Saturday, Nov. 29
Recent History
The recent history of the Iron Bowl has less to do with which team won and more to do with what that team has done after winning. To wit, the winner of the last five meetings has appeared in the national title game, and four of those teams have won it.
The one team that lost the national title game was last year's Auburn Tigers, which beat Alabama on a last-second field goal return by Chris Davis. Winning also required a late touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Sammie Coates on a "pop pass" that fooled 'Bama's defense.
Why It Matters
Um…for all of the reasons listed above?
One of the few constants in the ever-changing world of college football is that Auburn vs. Alabama will have a say on the SEC and national title picture. Both programs are as strong (if not stronger) than ever, and both have a Top Five ranking.
Will they still be ranked inside the Top Five by the end of the regular season? Maybe and maybe not. But if either team isn't, it shouldn't be too far away. This is a game that college football fans and NFL scouts will be affixed to, no matter what happens before it.
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
15 of 15
When: Saturday, Dec. 6
Recent History
The Bedlam Series has earned its name the past two seasons. Oklahoma has come out victorious both times (and in eight of the past nine meetings), but 2012's game was a 51-48 overtime victory, and last year's game was a wild 33-24 comeback.
In that comeback—a game Oklahoma State was favored to win, and a loss that cost it the Big 12 title—Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight was benched at halftime, setting the stage for Blake Bell to play the role of hero with a late touchdown pass to Jalen Saunders.
This year, Knight is back at quarterback and Bell is playing tight end.
Why It Matters
Oklahoma spoiled its rival's chances of winning the conference and playing in a major bowl last season. Depending on what happens before this, Oklahoma State should be in a similar spot.
The Cowboys have been a pleasant surprise to open the season, taking Florida State down to the wire in Week 1 and blowing out a sneaky good UTSA team in Week 3. Quarterback J.W. Walsh is out for another couple of months, but even if he's not at full strength by December, Daxx Garman looks like a capable replacement.
"We’ve been very average in the nonconference (schedule)," said head coach Mike Gundy, per Bill Hasten of Tulsa World. But anyone who's been watching knows that not to be the case—that they should chalk up Gundy's statement as a coaching ploy and little else.
This game should be an even matchup throughout.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
