15 Most Anticipated Matchups Remaining on 2015 College Football Schedule
While it may feel like college football just came back, the truth is we're nearly a quarter of the way through the 14 weeks of regular-season games.
But the following countdown isn't meant to remind you how fast the season flies by—it's here to show you the amount of incredible games that are coming soon.
With three weeks down and many teams already through 25 percent of their scheduled games, it's time to take what we've learned so far in the early season and readjust our view of the most anticipated games left in 2015.
A lot of them are still the same from the preseason, such as the shootout between the top two teams in the Big 12 and the showdown that will pit the programs that currently sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP poll.
But some have changed as a result of the events of the first three weeks. A few teams have emerged as stronger national title contenders, while others have looked far from championship material this season.
The following 15 games are the picks for the most anticipated matchups remaining on the 2015 schedule, and we chose them for their potential for title and playoff implications for both teams. That last part is important, as some can't-miss games, such as the Iron Bowl or the Ohio State-Michigan game, look like they won't be between two championship-caliber programs.
Of course, limiting this list to just 15 games means some more monumental matchups just barely missed the cut. Sound off on which ones you're anticipating the most in the comments below.
UCLA vs. Arizona
1 of 15
Date: Sept. 26
Week 4 might not have the most exciting slate of the season, but the Pac-12 will take center stage this weekend with several interesting matchups—including this duel in the desert between UCLA and Arizona.
Arizona is on fire offensively after putting up plenty of points and yardage on three straight nonconference foes, and superstar linebacker Scooby Wright will attempt a comeback from injury in time for this matchup with the Bruins. UCLA is coming off a tough comeback victory over BYU and will send true freshman quarterback Josh Rosen in for his first Pac-12 start.
With USC already taking a conference loss in the early season, this matchup between unbeaten foes will determine the front-runner in the Pac-12 South, one of the nation's toughest divisions.
Alabama vs. Georgia
2 of 15
Date: Oct. 3
Two high-profile matchups highlight next weekend's action. The SEC has one of them with Alabama traveling to Georgia in a popular preseason pick for what could be the conference's championship game later this year.
After falling to Ole Miss in a wild game last weekend, Alabama will be looking to avoid its second consecutive SEC loss when it heads to Athens next Saturday. Georgia, on the other hand, is almost 100 percent guaranteed to square off against the Tide with an undefeated record.
Georgia has won eight of its last nine regular-season games against the SEC West but fell to Alabama by four points in the 2012 SEC Championship Game. This matchup between Nick Saban and Mark Richt, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb and two fierce defenses should be a thriller that has a major effect on the playoff race.
Notre Dame vs. Clemson
3 of 15
Date: Oct. 3
Next Saturday's other marquee matchup is between Notre Dame and Clemson. Unlike Alabama-Georgia, both teams will be undefeated, barring a major surprise for the Fighting Irish against winless UMass.
This will be an early test for each team's playoff chances. Notre Dame has fought through injury after injury to maintain an unbeaten record, and its first trip away from home this season was a near-upset loss to another ACC foe—Virginia. On the other side, Clemson will be coming off an unimpressive road victory at Louisville and an important bye week.
This game against the Irish is the first of back-to-back home challenges for the Tigers, as they take on Georgia Tech in an ACC cross-divisional matchup in Week 5. The winner here will get a huge playoff resume-builder and momentum heading into its midseason tests.
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Alabama vs. Texas A&M
4 of 15
Date: Oct. 17
Depending on the result of Alabama's matchup with Georgia, this could be a dreaded elimination game for the Tide away from home against a high-rising Texas A&M team.
If the Aggies can get by Arkansas in Arlington, Texas and Mississippi State at home, they'll have a much-needed bye week ahead of their meeting with the Crimson Tide. Last season, Alabama smashed A&M by a score of 59-0 in Tuscaloosa, and the Aggies will be looking for revenge with their high-powered offense and excellent defense under new coordinator John Chavis.
The defending SEC champion will head into College Station looking for an important win against a program that Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee called one of the most complete in college football so far this season. Judging by what has happened the last three times these two schools met on the field, this might be the most anticipated clash in the SEC West.
UCLA vs. Stanford
5 of 15
Date: Oct. 15
The last few seasons have been good for UCLA football, but the Bruins can't seem to get over one important hump on the schedule—the annual matchup with cross-division rival Stanford.
The Cardinal have won the last seven games against UCLA and has already stunned a Los Angeles school (USC) after getting off to a slow start to the 2015 season. Last year, UCLA just needed to beat Stanford in order to advance to the Pac-12 Championship Game, but the Bruins fell flat in a 31-10 loss at the Rose Bowl.
A lot can change in the Pac-12 race between now and this mid-October showdown, but this already feels like it could be a make-or-break game for UCLA. Stanford will have home-field advantage as it looks to make it eight straight over its fellow California power.
USC vs. Notre Dame
6 of 15
Date: Oct. 17
If USC can get past Arizona State this weekend and then beat Washington after an off week, its trip to Notre Dame could send the Trojans back into contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Last season, USC crushed Notre Dame in the Coliseum by a score of 49-14, but the Irish have been the more impressive team so far in 2015. USC has won five of its last six trips to Notre Dame Stadium in this historic rivalry. If Notre Dame records a big victory over USC, it would be set up well for a playoff push at the most important time of the season—the final few games.
These two heavyweights always have pride on the line when they meet, but this game should have even bigger implications. The winner will get a statement victory with the nation watching. The loser might be out of the playoff race altogether.
Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss
7 of 15
Date: Oct. 24
Texas A&M and Ole Miss have emerged as two of the best teams—if not the two best—in the SEC West through the first few weeks of the season. When they face off in Oxford, they could be battling to see who takes control of the division.
After defeating Alabama, Ole Miss is set up well to make an undefeated run to the matchup against Texas A&M. In the next four weeks, the now-No. 3 Rebels face Vanderbilt, Florida, New Mexico State and Memphis. An interesting storyline heading into this one will be the health of star defensive back Tony Conner, who is set to miss at least the next four games, per Daniel Paulling of the Clarion-Ledger.
If Conner can't come back, the excellent "Land Shark" defense will face a high-powered Texas A&M offense without one of its major leaders. Either way, this should be another massive showdown between the SEC West's two highest risers in recent seasons.
Florida State vs. Clemson
8 of 15
Date: Nov. 7
This should once again be the biggest game of the ACC schedule—the conference's top two teams colliding for a spot in the championship game. Since 2009, the winner of Clemson vs. Florida State has gone on to win the Atlantic Division, and the last four victors were later crowned conference champions.
By this time in the schedule, a young and talented Florida State team will have already faced a few true tests in ACC play. Clemson will have also gone through its back-to-back matchups against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech and will be coming off a tricky pairing of road games against Miami and N.C. State.
These two teams look to be the ACC's best shot at a playoff berth. Both will be tested and heading into the final stretch of the season, which makes this a must-watch matchup once again.
Oregon vs. Stanford
9 of 15
Date: Nov. 14
How about another potential division-deciding game? Oregon is the favorite in the Pac-12 North once again, but Stanford has started to turn some heads after the victory over USC—and the Cardinal have a favorable schedule.
"Stanford has a win in pocket and more games that fall into the 'likely win' category than Oregon," SB Nation's Bill Connelly wrote this week. "After his magnificent performance in Los Angeles (18-of-23 for 279 yards and two touchdowns)...Kevin Hogan has a reasonable chance of not only leading his team back to the Pac-12 title game, but winning his third conference title."
Oregon smacked Stanford, 45-16, in last year's matchup, but the Ducks lost the previous two matchups to the Cardinal while sporting a high ranking in the polls. By this point, we'll know if the Cardinal are more than just potential spoilers in the Pac-12, and David Shaw's team will have home-field advantage for another big-time matchup.
Oklahoma vs. Baylor
10 of 15
Date: Nov. 14
Oklahoma's comeback, double-overtime victory at Tennessee caused more of the country to pay attention to the Sooners—last year's major disappointments but this year's fast-rising playoff contenders. What many saw as a two-horse race in the Big 12 now looks more like a potential three-team battle.
The Sooners have been rolling on offense to start the season with quarterback Baker Mayfield, a loaded backfield led by Samaje Perine and a talented group of wide receivers, starting with Sterling Shepard. And while Baylor hasn't impressed on defense so far this year, the Bears are healthy and still have the nation's most ridiculous offense in terms of points and yardage.
This will be the first of the three big showdowns in the Big 12 to end November, and Baylor will have an advantage by playing this one in Waco, Texas. But the way Oklahoma is looking, this won't be a third straight blowout for the Bears.
Michigan State vs. Ohio State
11 of 15
Date: Nov. 21
The Big Ten is quite underrepresented on this list, mostly due to the fact the conference looks like it only has two playoff contenders this season. But the Big Ten also has the most anticipated of all these matchups on the list, because Michigan State vs. Ohio State in November could easily be between No. 1 and No. 2.
Both the Buckeyes and the Spartans should be favored in all their games leading into this one at the Horseshoe, and there doesn't seem to be any huge land mines on their respective schedules. While Ohio State hasn't quite looked like the best team in the country this year, the Buckeyes still have time to get rolling before they face one of college football's most physically dominant programs.
There's talk that this game could be between two powers that will be in the College Football Playoff later in the season. What's more likely to happen is that the winner here will be in the driver's seat for the Big Ten Championship and a guaranteed shot at the national championship come late December. Games don't come bigger than this one at the moment.
TCU vs. Oklahoma
12 of 15
Date: Nov. 21
And one week after facing off with Baylor in Waco, Oklahoma will return home to Norman looking to either keep its championship hopes alive or nail them down with a matchup against TCU.
Only time will tell how TCU handles the ugly rash of injuries and off-field woes that has plagued its defense so far this season. But quarterback Trevone Boykin seems to have the Horned Frogs' uptempo offense clicking once again, and this should be another fun edition in a Big 12 series that has featured tight games each of the last three years.
Before we get to what could be the best Friday night game in college football history, both TCU and Baylor have to get past Oklahoma. The Sooners could disrupt the new-look duopoly atop the Big 12 and then some with a home win here.
LSU vs. Ole Miss
13 of 15
Date: Nov. 21
You can't get through this list without LSU, which looked like a complete contender with its destruction of Auburn last weekend. And while the Tigers have the always-important matchup at Alabama in early November, let's take a look at why the Magnolia Bowl could be an even bigger game.
Judging by its schedule, LSU might only be the underdog in one game—against Alabama—between now and its road trip to Oxford this season. With Ole Miss already having beaten the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, this game could be between one-loss teams or undefeated ones. Either way, it should be a colossal SEC West showdown, especially after the close ones between these two teams in the last three years.
This game features bitter rivals and big-name programs who already have a head start in the race for the country's most competitive division. It's hard to project this one not having national championship implications.
USC vs. Oregon
14 of 15
Date: Nov. 21
The top-to-bottom strength of the Pac-12 might cause this game not to be as big as originally expected, but there's a good chance USC and Oregon will meet in late November in a matchup with huge stakes.
Oregon won't have much time to recover from the road game against Stanford as it turns around to face USC at home. In their last meeting, the Ducks won a stunning 62-51 shootout, and with the way both teams have looked on defense, this could be another high-scoring affair.
The question, though, is how big of a game this one will be. Could it still be a preview for the Pac-12 Championship Game? Or is it more of an elimination game for both teams in their respective division title races? Someone is going to leave this game with a tough loss, that's for sure, and it could be one that knocks the program out of championship contention.
Baylor vs. TCU
15 of 15
Date: Nov. 27
The next edition of the "Revivalry" continues to heat up with head coaches Art Briles and Gary Patterson. And barring an unforeseen collapse, Baylor and TCU will finally square off later this year with Big 12 and national title hopes on the line.
"Now that Baylor and TCU qualify as the Big 12's elite, as well as national title contenders, each has shifted its focus from [Texas]," Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News wrote. "What really brings this old church school rivalry to a boil is the personality of Patterson, who's not much on hiding his feelings. Briles is pretty much just along for the wild ride."
The back-and-forth between these two programs has done nothing but raise anticipation for the Friday night matchup in Fort Worth, Texas. While both teams haven't been necessarily lighting it up to start 2015, they are still great bets to be in the thick of the playoff hunt by late November.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
