The 10 Most Important College Football Games of 2015 Season
Now that we’re officially past Memorial Day, summer is here, no matter what the official calendar says. And that means we’re on the downhill slide to the 2015 college football season. Across the nation, players are beginning to sweat through “unofficial” workouts and building bonds with their teammates that will pay dividends this fall.
That means it’s time to start thinking about the biggest matchups of the upcoming season. There are a number of important games that will shape the season and the race for four coveted College Football Playoff berths. But a few loom more important than others. These are games that, at least on paper, have the potential to be truly meaningful for a variety of reasons.
Of course, it’s late May. Other games are sure to emerge as crucial in the flow of the season, but right now here are 10 games that loom as the most important in the 2015 college football regular season.
Alabama at Auburn
1 of 10
It goes without saying that Alabama-Auburn is always an important game, especially within SEC circles. In the state of Alabama, shopping centers all but shut down and life grinds to a halt when Alabama and Auburn get together for the Iron Bowl. It is a contest that, more often than not, has a huge influence on the winner of the SEC West, one of college football’s most powerful divisions.
Inside Alabama’s borders, Iron Bowl talk is a 365-day-per-year affair, slowing down only when the game kicks off and firing back up for the next year at the game’s conclusion. Following a six-game Auburn winning streak from 2002-07, Alabama has won four of the last six, but Auburn’s recent wins have both been significant. In 2010, Auburn overcame a 24-0 deficit in Tuscaloosa to beat Alabama 28-27, and in 2013 the Tigers pulled off the famous “Kick Six,” returning an Alabama missed field goal 100-plus yards to win on the game’s final play.
Both games propelled Auburn to the BCS National Championship Game, and this season’s matchup, set for Nov. 28, has the potential to be just as important. AL.com's Brandon Marcello notes that Alabama is a slight early favorite.
While both the Tigers and Tide have holes to fill, both should be serious contenders in the rugged SEC West. If they can survive difficult slates, this game could have a huge impact on the division title and a potential College Football Playoff berth.
Alabama at Georgia
2 of 10
Despite sharing a border and recruiting territory, Alabama and Georgia don’t get together very often. Since the SEC went to a two-division setup, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs have met only seven times, which includes Alabama’s wild 32-28 victory in the 2012 SEC Championship Game.
This week, scheduling isn't on the table at the SEC spring meetings. Alabama coach Nick Saban, at least for now, is more worried about a "level playing field" for all leagues, per USA Today's Dan Wolken:
"Let me say this in general about all rules, whether it's transfer rules or camp rules or any rules: We need to have the same rules in the big five in all the leagues. If we're going to compete for the championship and everybody is going to play in the playoff system and everybody's going to compete for that, we need to get our rules in alignment so we're all on a level playing field. These things need to be global, otherwise we're going to become a farm system for all the other leagues.
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The SEC's schedule plans don't appear to be changing anytime soon, so meetings like Alabama’s visit to Sanford Stadium on Oct. 3 are worth savoring. The Tide hasn’t visited Athens since 2008, when they blocked out a Georgia “Black Out” effort for a 41-30 victory. This meeting promises to be meaningful. Georgia will return 13 starters, led by standout tailback Nick Chubb, from a 10-3 team that finished short of its goals in 2014.
Alabama is the defending SEC champion and a College Football Playoff qualifier, but must replace 13 starters. The Tide must find replacements for Biletnikoff Award-winning receiver Amari Cooper, quarterback Blake Sims and safety Landon Collins, among others, but Saban has a talented roster. The trip to Georgia will be the first road test in a grueling schedule and it could be a preview of the SEC title game, or a springboard for an ascendant Bulldog program.
Auburn at LSU
3 of 10
While Auburn-Alabama and Alabama-LSU are matchups that define the end of the SEC schedule, Auburn-LSU has emerged as an early-season litmus test. The two Tigers in the SEC West play a hard-hitting brand of football, and it’s a great way to see just how both programs measure up in September.
This season's matchup, set for Sept. 19, will be no different. LSU hopes a young roster can improve on last season’s 8-5 record, although determining a quarterback between Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings is crucial. Auburn hopes that new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be the difference in shoring up a leaky scheme that struggled throughout 2014.
This game won’t make or break either squad. It’s far too early for that, but it’s a must-see matchup that will help set the tone for the race in college football’s most rugged division, especially as new Auburn starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson’s first SEC road game.
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Baylor at TCU
4 of 10
Last December, both Baylor and TCU were left out in the cold when the first College Football Playoff field was announced. Despite finishing with matching 11-1 records, the Bears and Horned Frogs were passed over, with TCU falling out of playoff position in favor of eventual champion Ohio State’s inclusion.
It could be argued that the snub had its roots in a mid-October game in Waco, Texas. Baylor erased a 58-37 deficit with 11 minutes remaining, stunning the Frogs on a final-play field goal for a 61-58 victory. It was TCU’s only loss in a stellar season, while Baylor went on to lose at West Virginia.
When the in-state foes meet again on Nov. 21, plenty will be on the line. TCU returns 16 starters, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Trevone Boykin, and should be a College Football Playoff favorite. Baylor returns 17 starters, and while it must replace graduated quarterback Bryce Petty, the Bears have plenty of offensive firepower and defensive talent returning.
If both teams can navigate through the early part of their schedules unscathed, this will be for a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. No pressure, guys.
Florida State at Clemson
5 of 10
Over the last six seasons, the ACC Atlantic Division has played out its full schedule as normal, but the division slate could have been condensed into one game: Clemson-Florida State. Since 2009, the winner of Clemson-Florida State has been the Atlantic representative in the ACC title game, and either Clemson or Florida State has won the last four ACC championships (with Florida State winning the last three).
This season’s matchup, set for Nov. 7 in Clemson, promises to be just as meaningful. The Tigers and Seminoles are again clearly a cut above the rest of the Atlantic Division and both should be College Football Playoff contenders.
By November, Clemson will have a better idea of how its depleted defensive line will come together, and Florida State will know Jameis Winston’s successor at quarterback, be it Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson, Sean Maguire or a talented freshman. If both can navigate through their ACC schedules, this meeting will be for more than just an Atlantic title. It could be a huge piece of a College Football Playoff resume.
Michigan State at Ohio State
6 of 10
In three seasons at Ohio State, Urban Meyer has one loss to a Big Ten opponent. One. That loss came in the 2013 Big Ten title game, with Michigan State keeping the Buckeyes from a date in the final BCS National Championship Game with a surprising upset.
While Michigan and Ohio State have a far stronger rivalry pedigree, Michigan State-Ohio State has become the Big Ten game that truly matters. Both teams are among five teams nationally who have won at least 11 games in at least four of the last five seasons, and they’re the clear class of the Big Ten East.
2015 should be no different, and Michigan State’s Nov. 21 visit to Ohio State should play a huge part in determining the East representative in Indianapolis. It’ll also bolster the winner’s College Football Playoff resume.
By now, the winner of Ohio State’s quarterback derby will have nearly a full season under his belt running the talented Buckeye offense. He’ll face off with Connor Cook in a late-season showdown to remember.
Oregon at Michigan State
7 of 10
Last fall, one of the best games of the entire season came in the second week. When Michigan State visited Oregon, it served as a springboard for the Ducks’ national profile as well as Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy campaign. The Spartans built a 27-18 third-quarter lead before Oregon scored the game’s final 28 points for a huge 46-27 victory.
On Sept. 12, Oregon returns the favor with a trip to East Lansing to complete the home-and-home series. It should be another doozie of an early-season game, with both teams likely to be in the preseason top 10. Both could even be in the top five, depending on how the polls shake out. Spartan Stadium will be a huge test for Mariota’s replacement as Oregon quarterback, be it Jeff Lockie or Vernon Adams.
Regardless of the result, both teams will have time to rebound and chase a College Football Playoff berth. But it’s fair to say that the winner will get a huge boost in its quest for national glory.
Southern California at Notre Dame
8 of 10
There are many important conference rivalries across the nation, but among intersectional rivalries, few compare to Notre Dame-Southern California. Each fall, the Fighting Irish and Trojans meet in heated battle, often with national implications. USC won eight consecutive games in the rivalry from 2002-09, with the most notable 2005’s famous “Bush Push” in the Trojans’ 34-31 win.
Since then, the Irish have won three of five in the series, although USC routed Notre Dame 49-14 last fall in Los Angeles following a hail of turnovers. This season’s meeting in South Bend, set for Oct. 17, promises to be meaningful: Notre Dame returns 19 starters from 2014’s 8-5 team and should be much-improved.
Meanwhile, the Trojans will be a College Football Playoff contender in Steve Sarkisian’s second season at the helm with a talented starting lineup led by quarterback Cody Kessler, do-everything corner Adoree’ Jackson and many more. The winner will get a boost toward a potential College Football Playoff bid, while the loser will take a step backward.
Southern California at Oregon
9 of 10
Over the last six seasons, a new power has emerged as the Pac-12’s premier program. Oregon has won four of the last six league championships and shared a piece of three Pac-12 North titles, losing tiebreakers to Stanford in 2012 and 2013. The Ducks have also made two national title game appearances, losing both.
They supplanted Southern California as the league’s top dog. Under Pete Carroll, the Trojans won seven consecutive league titles from 2002-08, but a serious NCAA probation laid the program low. Now, with Steve Sarkisian in charge, USC is emerging from probation and should be a national power again.
The Trojans will return 15 starters from a 9-4 team, led by standout senior quarterback Cody Kessler. They have a tough schedule with trips to Notre Dame and Arizona State before their Nov. 21 visit to Oregon, but this could be a preview of the Pac-12 title game, with the winner getting a leg up on a potential College Football Playoff berth.
UCLA at Southern California
10 of 10
Only 12 miles separate the campuses of Southern California and UCLA, so, much like Duke-North Carolina in basketball, Los Angeles’ crosstown rivalry is always meaningful, even when one side doesn’t have as much to play for as the other.
Following an extended string of USC dominance (12 wins in 13 seasons), UCLA has taken control in the series, winning the last three meetings, all by double digits. 2015 promises to be one of the most intriguing showdowns in recent memory.
Although both teams face difficult schedules, there is a distinct possibility that they could enter the regular season finale Nov. 28 battling not only for a Pac-12 South title, but also a College Football Playoff berth. There should be more than bragging rights on the line here.
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