SEC Football: Ranking Top 2016 Nonconference Games
The SEC now requires that all members have at least one Power Five nonconference game per year, and the matchups in 2016 are nothing short of spectacular.
The regular season is loaded with incredible games, including Alabama's season opener versus USC in Arlington, Texas, the Battle at Bristol between Tennessee and Virginia Tech in Week 2 at Bristol Motor Speedway and traditional nonconference season finales like Florida vs. Florida State that always mean a lot.
Which nonconference games are the best? Our top 10 are based on novelty, location and what they could mean to the College Football Playoff scene.
10. Mississippi State at BYU, Oct. 15
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Mississippi State isn't the top team in the SEC, and BYU doesn't dominate headlines like it did when Jim McMahon was the quarterback in the 1980s.
But when the two meet in Provo, Utah, in mid-October, it will allow SEC fans to see one of its own play in a setting along the Wasatch Range that most teams within the conference have never experienced.
Plus, for Mississippi State, this game could mean a lot.
The Bulldogs will have games versus LSU and Auburn in their rear view mirror. If they came up short in both of those, getting a tough road win against the Cougars could be what makes or breaks their bid for a bowl game.
Conversely, wins over both sets of Tigers could vault head coach Dan Mullen's crew into the national conversation for the third straight season, and a road win in Provo could keep that momentum going heading into the stretch run.
This game won't dominate headlines before the season, but it has the chance to be one of the most entertaining nonconference games of the year.
9. Arkansas at TCU, Sept. 10
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TCU is replacing a ton of talent from the squad that lived in the playoff picture for the better part of two years, but it still has one of the best in the business in Gary Patterson on the sidelines and will likely start former Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill when the Horned Frogs play Arkansas in Week 2 in Fort Worth.
It'll be a tough test for the Hogs, who are breaking in new quarterback Austin Allen, a new feature running back, several fresh faces along the offensive line and a work-in-progress secondary, which gave up an SEC-worst 275.2 yards per game through the air last year.
Arkansas hasn't raced out of the gate in any of head coach Bret Bielema's three seasons in Fayetteville, but a big win over a respected TCU team could vault the Hogs into the national conversation early in 2016.
8. UCLA at Texas A&M, Sept. 3
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Things haven't gone well for Texas A&M lately. A publicized Twitter debacle involving Aggies wide receiver coach Aaron Moorehead cost the team a 2017 wide receiver shortly after the headliner of the class—5-star quarterback Tate Martell—decommitted.
A win in the season opener versus UCLA will go a long way toward settling a program that's in choppy waters this offseason.
Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin already named former Oklahoma signal-caller Trevor Knight as his starting quarterback in new coordinator (and former UCLA assistant) Noel Mazzone's offense. Knight, a talented wide receiving corps led by Christian Kirk, a strong defense led by end Myles Garrett and defensive stability in John Chavis' second year as coordinator make this team dangerous—recent drama notwithstanding.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender, and head coach Jim Mora's crew should be in the mix for the Pac-12 South title.
Generating momentum is imperative for both teams, which makes the opener in College Station must-see TV.
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7. Florida at Florida State, Nov. 26
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Florida State has won three straight and five of the last six over intrastate rival Florida, and the meeting this year in Tallahassee could have College Football Playoff implications for both.
The Gators solved their quarterback mystery this spring when Luke Del Rio not only emerged as the front-runner, but also looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC in the process. He completed 10 of 11 passes for two touchdowns in the spring game, and head coach Jim McElwain's goal for the redshirt sophomore is clear.
"Try not to do too much, but rather, let the game kind of come to him," McElwain said on Wednesday. "I thought he did that in the spring game."
Florida's defense is loaded with stars, including Caleb Brantley up front, Jarrad Davis in the middle and Jalen Tabor and Marcus Maye in the secondary.
Conversely, Florida State returns all 11 offensive starters (unless quarterback Sean Maguire is beaten out) and a loaded defense led by safety Derwin James.
State pride will be on the line in this one, but don't be surprised if more pressure exists for one or both of these Sunshine State heavyweights.
6. Georgia vs. North Carolina, Sept. 3 in Atlanta
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart's first game as the head coach of the Bulldogs is no joke—a date with defending ACC Coastal champ North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The Tar Heels offense will provide a big challenge for Smart's defense, which is rather inexperienced up front and will have to deal with the dizzying pace in which head coach Larry Fedora operates. Offensively, Smart has a decision to make at quarterback, and he could trot out true freshman and former 5-star Jacob Eason if he decides to be bold.
"He throws BBs," Smart said of Eason after the spring game. "Sometimes, he throws them to the other team, and sometimes, he throws them to our team, but he throws BBs now. He can spin the ball."
Not only will the tone for the season be set for Georgia in the opener, but the future of the program could also be set if Eason takes the majority of the snaps for the Bulldogs.
5. Clemson at Auburn, Sept. 3
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When it comes to different styles of intrigue, it doesn't get much better than Auburn's season opener at home versus Clemson.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn enters this season on the hot seat after playing for a national title following the 2013 season, and a game versus the defending national runner-up in front of the home crowd could swing fan and administrative support in one way or the other.
With a strong showing—especially from an offense that needs a spark alongside running back Jovon Robinson—Malzahn could get off the hot seat quickly. Clemson's defense is replacing a ton of key pieces, but that's nothing new to defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Offensively, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receiver Mike Williams and running back Wayne Gallman should have their work cut out for them against an underrated Auburn defense.
"They're really good up front," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said at the Chick-fil-A Challenge on Monday. "They have one great corner. They're solid at linebacker and safety. I think they're going to be much better defensively now that they have some guys back healthy. Carl Lawson—I think he's an elite player."
Conversely, an embarrassing loss could be tough to overcome for Malzahn—even if it is to the defending ACC champs.
No pressure.
4. Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech, Sept. 10 in Bristol, Tennessee
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The Battle at Bristol will have it all.
It'll have Tennessee—a loaded SEC team that's not only being picked to make noise in the East, but also potentially the College Football Playoff.
It'll have Virginia Tech—a traditional power from the ACC that had fallen on hard times but hired one of the best up-and-coming head coaches in the country in Justin Fuente.
It'll have a unique setting in front of up to 160,000 people inside the "World's Fastest Half-Mile," Bristol Motor Speedway, along the Tennessee-Virginia border.
Tennessee will have to overcome the novelty of the setting once toe meets leather because the Hokies always boast a tough defense. This will be the first chance for quarterback Joshua Dobbs, running back Jalen Hurd and the rest of the Vols to make a statement that they're for real and not going anywhere. For the Hokies, it's a chance to say, "We're back and better than ever."
In the immortal words of Bart Scott, "Can't wait!"
3. LSU vs. Wisconsin, Sept. 3 in Green Bay, Wisconsin
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As evidenced by its place in ESPN's Football Power Index, LSU is entering the 2016 season with more hype than any other team in the conference, including defending national champion Alabama.
"2016 college football FPI
— ESPN (@espn) May 6, 2016"
1. Florida St.
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Clemson
5. Tennessee
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The Tigers will get a test right out of the gate, though, when they travel to Lambeau Field to take on Wisconsin in the second half of a series that started in 2014, when the two met in Houston.
LSU is loaded with stars, including running back Leonard Fournette, wide receiver Travin Dural, defensive linemen Lewis Neal and Arden Key, linebacker Kendell Beckwith and defensive backs Jamal Adams and Tre'Davious White.
Can Wisconsin move the ball? Will Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris do enough against the Badgers defense to take pressure off of Fournette? How much will the Badgers crowd in the home of the Green Bay Packers help Wisconsin?
It should be a fun matchup in a venue that rarely hosts big-time college football in the opener between these two traditionally competitive programs.
2. Ole Miss vs. Florida State, Sept. 5 in Orlando, Florida
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Ole Miss chimed in at No. 9 in Bleacher Report's post-spring Top 25, and Florida State was penciled in at No. 3.
Something's got to give when the Rebels and Seminoles square off in the renovated Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Labor Day night.
Ole Miss returns superstar dual-threat quarterback Chad Kelly and a talented group of wide receivers, who will be without recent first-round draft pick Laquon Treadwell. That offense, which head coach Hugh Freeze has led to success in each of his four years, will be going up against one of the best defenses in the country led by star safety Derwin James and end Josh Sweat.
The Seminoles boast superstar running back Dalvin Cook, a loaded wide receiving corps, all five starters along the offensive line and possible returning starting quarterback Sean Maguire—unless he's beaten out for the job in fall camp. They'll go up against a loaded Rebels defense that includes edge threat Marquis Haynes, tackle Breeland Speaks, linebacker DeMarquis Gates and safety Tony Conner.
Loaded rosters? Unopposed national television at the end of a holiday weekend? National title hopes?
The Camping World Kickoff has it all.
1. Alabama vs. USC, Sept. 3 in Arlington, Texas
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Congratulations, Alabama. In your first game as "defending national champion" in 2016, you'll get to square off against USC at AT&T Stadium in the best nonconference game of the year in the SEC.
This game will be loaded with questions.
Alabama has to replace first-round draft pick Ryan Kelly at center and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry with players who—while talented—are the least experienced backups head coach Nick Saban has had entering a season at Alabama.
Not to mention that the Crimson Tide will be breaking in a new quarterback for the third straight season. Star wide receiver Calvin Ridley and tight end O.J. Howard are there to ease the transition, but USC's defense is loaded with talented players like corner Adoree' Jackson and linebacker Cameron Smith.
The Trojans have stud wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, a great duo of running backs in Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis and a potential star at quarterback, depending on whether Max Browne or Sam Darnold wins the job. But they'll have to square off against that loaded Bama defense led by end Jonathan Allen out of the gate in a game that could have massive playoff implications for both teams.
Get your popcorn ready.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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