Most Exciting Conference Games to Watch in 2025 College Football Season
Marquee games provide an exciting start to the 2025 college football season, but conference matchups are the core of any year.
Yes, changes around the sport have lessened the impact of one specific result. Expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 has allowed a greater margin for error in the Power Four conferences. We saw as much in 2024.
Besides, with a potential automatic CFP berth at stake for a conference title, winning the league remains a coveted goal.
These big matchups are already circled on our calendar.
Group of Five
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Headliner: Tulane at Memphis (American, Nov. 7)
Last season, Memphis finished 11-2 as Army posted a 9-5 record that included a trip to the conference title game. Nevada transfer Brendon Lewis is expected to take the reins at Memphis, while BYU transfer Jake Retzlaff will likely be Tulane's quarterback. Both teams must navigate two full months to actually set up this Friday showdown, but it may have major national implications.
Key Game: UNLV at Boise State (Mountain West, Oct. 18)
Boise State punched the G5's automatic CFP ticket in 2024, and the Broncos—even after losing star running back Ashton Jeanty—enter the campaign as the favorite in that conversation again. The wild card of the Mountain West is UNLV, which underwent a roster overhaul as Dan Mullen replaced Purdue-bound Barry Odom. But if a talent-rich transfer class hits, UNLV is a serious challenger to Boise.
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Liberty at Jacksonville State (Conference USA, Sep. 6)
Georgia Southern at James Madison (Sun Belt, Sep. 27)
Louisiana at James Madison (Sun Belt, Oct. 11)
Toledo at Miami (Ohio) (MAC, Nov. 12)
Navy at Memphis (American, Nov. 27)
Top ACC Games
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Headliner: Clemson at Louisville (Nov. 14)
How about another Friday night showdown? Late in the regular season, Clemson heads to Louisville in a game expected to include two of the ACC's best teams. Clemson ultimately bounced back, but a loss at home to Louisville in 2024 nearly derailed the Tigers' journey to the CFP.
Key Game: SMU at Miami (Nov. 1)
Miami's stunning loss to Georgia Tech opened that door for Clemson to take on SMU in the ACC Championship Game. This year, both SMU—coached by former Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee—and the 'Canes are again viewed as high-end contenders in the ACC. It's plausible this contest will serve as a de facto elimination game in November.
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Clemson at Georgia Tech (Sep. 13)
Miami at Florida State (Oct. 4)
Louisville at Miami (Oct. 17)
SMU at Clemson (Oct. 18)
Top Big Ten Games
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Headliner: Penn State at Ohio State (Nov. 1)
Penn State reached the CFP semifinals last season, and Ohio State won it all. Both programs, unsurprisingly, head into the 2025 campaign as two of the most respected teams in the country. Sort of speaks for itself, right?
Key Game: Oregon at Penn State (Sep. 27)
Same vibe, but much earlier in the season. Oregon is incredibly talented, though it needs to settle the QB situation. This cross-country trip for the Ducks—which doubles as a rematch of last year's Big Ten Championship Game—will be helpful in setting real expectations for Oregon and seeing if Penn State's veteran-stacked roster is living up to the hype immediately.
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Illinois at Indiana (Sep. 20)
USC at Michigan (Oct. 11)
Ohio State at Illinois (Oct. 11)
Penn State at Iowa (Oct. 18)
Nebraska at Penn State (Nov. 22)
Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 29)
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Top Big 12 Games
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Headliner: Iowa State vs. Kansas State (Aug. 23 in Dublin)
The best part of this matchup is, quite literally, it's the first game on the schedule for the entire 2025 campaign. In the beautiful nightmare that is projecting the Big 12 standings this season, we're going to get a helpful, rapid answer from ISU and K-State in Ireland.
Key Game: Arizona State at Utah (Oct. 11)
Arizona State made a surprise run to the Big 12 Championship Game last season as Utah, the preseason favorite, dealt with a slew of injuries and collapsed. Both programs will have played two conference games at this point, so this result will likely be shaping how we view ASU and Utah in the league race.
More to Know
Arizona State at Baylor (Sep. 20)
Texas Tech at Utah (Sep. 20)
TCU at Kansas State (Oct. 11)
Arizona State at Iowa State (Nov. 1)
Kansas State at Utah (Nov. 22)
Top SEC Games
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Headliner: Texas at Georgia (Nov. 15)
Last year, these programs met in the regular season and SEC Championship Game with Georgia taking both contests. On paper, this is a gargantuan clash between two prime contenders for a national championship. By the time mid-November rolls around, will that immense level of hype remain?
Key Game: Alabama at Georgia (Sep. 27)
There are so many options in the SEC. If you're a believer in LSU, Ole Miss or South Carolina, for example, you probably would pick a matchup involving one of those schools. Easy enough! But I'll stick with a pair of recent powerhouses.
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Georgia at Tennessee (Sep. 13)
LSU at Ole Miss (Sep. 27)
Texas vs. Oklahoma (Oct. 11)
Ole Miss at Georgia (Oct. 18)
Alabama at South Carolina (Oct. 25)
South Carolina at Ole Miss (Nov. 1)
LSU at Alabama (Nov. 8)
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