Ranking the Top 16 Must-Watch College Football Games of 2016
There was a time in the not too distant past when keeping up with college football on television was a challenge. Regional telecasts and fewer network options meant that, heaven forbid, there were actually some important games the average fan might miss out on.
That simply isn’t the case anymore. The proliferation of conference networks from the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, as well as specialty channels such as ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network and FS1 mean anyone with a good satellite package and a deft touch with the remote control can watch virtually any meaningful game they desire. And if it isn’t on your flat-screen TV, chances are it’s streaming somewhere.
Such variety is a positive, but it can also be tough for fans. Which games do you focus the most attention on from week to week? We’re here to help. Here’s a look at the top 16 must-watch games on the college football slate this fall. The rest? That’s up to you and your remote.
16. Houston vs. Oklahoma
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The divisions between the Power Five and “Group of Five” are stark. The Group of Five gets only one guaranteed entry into the "New Year’s Six" bowl games, and while it has won both appearances under this system, don’t expect the group’s access to improve anytime soon.
Group of Five members need to take advantage of their opportunities when they can, and they get a big one on Sept. 3. Oklahoma will visit Houston for what is being termed a “neutral” game at NRG Stadium, with the Cougars visiting Norman in 2019. Under Tom Herman, Houston made big noise in 2015, going 13-1 with a Peach Bowl win over Florida State.
Led by dynamic dual-threat quarterback Greg Ward, the Cougars hope for an underdog run at the College Football Playoff. A secondary that is replacing three starters from a year ago will get a stern test against Baker Mayfield and OU’s Air Raid offense. Houston’s playoff hopes will either get a huge boost or end almost before they begin.
15. Auburn at Alabama
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In Nick Saban’s Alabama tenure, the balance of power in the Yellowhammer State has shifted toward Tuscaloosa. Since Saban arrived in 2007, the Crimson Tide have won four national titles, while Auburn has won one. And after Auburn enjoyed a six-game Iron Bowl winning streak from 2002-08, Alabama has won six of the last eight meetings with the Tigers, five by double digits.
But when the Iron Bowl has been good, it’s been great. Auburn’s 34-28 win in 2013 was capped by the “Kick Six,” which saw the Tigers return a missed Tide field goal 100 yards for a touchdown as time expired. Three years earlier, Alabama built a 24-0 first-half lead before Cam Newton silenced Bryant-Denny Stadium with a stunning rally for a 28-27 victory that kept Auburn on the road to a national championship.
Alabama will be playing at home, and chances are that a young roster will have jelled by Thanksgiving weekend. But the pure hate and intensity between the Tide and Tigers make this game an annual must-watch.
14. Clemson at Auburn
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Clemson and Auburn are like two peas in a college football pod. Both are land-grant institutions. Both have “Tigers” as their mascot. Both share a tie to John Heisman, one of college football’s pioneers, who served as head coach at both Auburn and Clemson in the late 1890s and early 1900s.
Clemson has been dubbed by some snarky fans as “Auburn with a lake,” referring to Lake Hartwell, a huge reservoir that has a finger near Memorial Stadium. So it’s only natural that the two have renewed their rivalry, which dates back to 1899, over the past decade.
The teams met four times between 2007 and 2012, with Auburn winning two, Clemson winning two and three games decided by a touchdown or less, two in overtime. They’ve signed another home-and-home series, which begins in Auburn on Sept. 3 with a 9 p.m. ET kickoff.
Clemson is coming off a 14-1 season and a national runner-up finish, while Auburn is trying to rebound from a 7-6 campaign. Both teams feature the hurry-up, no-huddle offense pioneered by Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. However, Malzahn doesn’t have a quarterback like Deshaun Watson to run his system. He’ll pick among Jeremy Johnson, John Franklin III and Sean White. Oh, and Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will coach his first game with the Tigers. Well, these Tigers; he parted ways with Clemson and Dabo Swinney following a 70-33 embarrassment at West Virginia's hands in the 2012 Orange Bowl.
Regardless, this should be a fascinating, high-scoring opener on the Plains, especially with Clemson breaking in a defense that returns just three starters from 2015.
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13. LSU vs. Wisconsin
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When you think Lambeau Field, you think the NFC North. Frozen Tundra. Lions. Packers. Bears. Tigers? Jambalaya? Not so much. That changes Sept. 3. LSU and Wisconsin face off in the back half of a unique neutral-site series. Two years ago, the teams met at NRG Stadium in Houston, with LSU rallying for a 28-24 win. Now, Les Miles’ bunch returns the favor by heading north for a season-opening clash with the Badgers.
LSU slumped to the finish line in 2015 but has high hopes after returning 17 starters, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 1,953 yards in 12 games as a junior. Wisconsin still must identify a quarterback but has a deep backfield led by senior Corey Clement, who flashed talent as a sophomore but struggled with groin injuries as a junior.
The Badgers’ nasty defense was one of the nation’s best last year, but the unit must adjust without coordinator Dave Aranda, hired away by, you guessed it, LSU. This game doesn’t lack for storylines, and it’ll be a fun, smashmouth opener for 2016.
12. TCU at Baylor
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Over the last 15 years, the spread offense has made college football a lot more fun. It’s fast-paced, pass-first and high-scoring. And in recent years, few teams have executed it better than Baylor and TCU. The longtime rivals (they’ve played 111 times since 1899, with the series tied 52-52-7) have excelled with the Air Raid offense.
Defense has not been a priority recently. Three years ago, Baylor took a 41-38 win. In 2014, the Bears made a major rally for a 61-58 win that was ultimately TCU’s only regular-season defeat. Last fall, rainy weather and injuries tamped down the pace as TCU took a 28-21 double-OT win.
Both teams have questions they hope to answer by their Nov. 5 meeting. How will Baylor respond under acting coach Jim Grobe following Art Briles’ scandal-related ouster? Will Seth Russell or Jarrett Stidham start at quarterback? Will TCU pick Kenny Hill or Foster Sawyer to quarterback a revamped offense?
If they can answer those questions affirmatively, this game should be another high-scoring affair that figures prominently in the Big 12 title race.
11. Florida State vs. Ole Miss
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Orlando’s newly renovated Citrus Bowl is typically a showplace for college football’s postseason. It hosts the Russell Athletic Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl, two of the game’s premier bowl experiences. This fall, the stadium will start 2016 in a big way.
The Citrus Bowl will host a huge neutral-site game on Labor Day night pitting Florida State and Ole Miss. It will occupy the 8 p.m. ET slot favored by ESPN as a college football showcase, and the game deserves the hype.
Florida State and Ole Miss are coming off 10-win seasons and appearances in New Year’s Six bowl games, and both hope for more this fall. The Seminoles return 17 starters (all 11 on offense) led by star tailback Dalvin Cook, a strong Heisman Trophy candidate.
The Rebels built fans’ expectations with a 10-3 season that included an upset of eventual national champion Alabama. Coach Hugh Freeze will lean even more heavily on senior quarterback Chad Kelly (who threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2015), as Ole Miss will return just eight starters after losing three first-round NFL draft picks.
This game won’t decide a national title, but it should provide an early barometer for the College Football Playoff hunt.
10. Oklahoma at TCU
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In recent seasons, the Big 12’s schedule has been somewhat backloaded, leading to lackluster early games but a string of strong league contests to end the season. That isn’t necessarily the case in 2016. The best example? Oklahoma-TCU. Two of the league’s most dynamic passing offenses will face off in the season’s fifth game, on Oct. 1 in Fort Worth.
A year ago, even without injured starting quarterback Trevone Boykin, TCU pushed the Sooners to the limit before falling 30-29 after the Frogs missed a two-point conversion with less than a minute to play. OU went on to win the Big 12, make the College Football Playoff and finish 12-2.
Baker Mayfield also missed the second half of that game with an injury, but assuming he’s healthy, the Frogs defense will have a major challenge slowing him down, even with former top target Sterling Shepard in the NFL. By October, TCU will have likely sorted out its quarterback situation between Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill and Foster Sawyer.
The first day of October should feature plenty of points and a game that will shape the league race well into November.
9. Notre Dame at Southern California
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When you think about college football’s best traditional rivalries, no list is complete without Notre Dame-Southern California. Even in the age of college football expansion and realignment (not to mention a nine-game Pac-12 schedule), this pairing has remained a consistent presence on the annual gridiron slate.
The teams have played annually all but three seasons since 1926, with only World War II interrupting the series from 1943-45. They’re two of college football’s most storied programs, with 11 national titles and seven Heisman Trophies apiece.
And this fall should be another stirring chapter, with the Nov. 26 meeting in Los Angeles likely to carry College Football Playoff or, at the very least, New Year’s Six implications.
Both teams have questions at quarterback (Notre Dame is choosing between DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire, and the Trojans must decide between Max Browne and Sam Darnold), but by the regular-season finale, those will have been worked out. We’ll be left with two storied, talented programs that should be among college football’s best in 2016.
8. Stanford at Oregon
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On the East Coast, it can be easy for fans to miss the significance of certain West Coast games. Some important Pac-12 games kick off after fans in ACC and SEC country have gone to bed, and the Pac-12 Network has struggled to attain consistent penetration in nationwide TV circles. One game you should be paying attention to? Stanford-Oregon.
The game has consistently been one of the most important in the Pac-12, and it carries serious weight. Oregon defeated Stanford 38-36 last fall, which broke a five-year string that saw the game’s winner go on to claim the league title. The Cardinal and Ducks are the only teams to win the Pac-12 North since league expansion.
Oregon has two national title game appearances in the last six years, and Stanford has won three of the last four Pac-12 championships. Stanford’s visit to Eugene on Nov. 12 should be crucial as well. While both teams begin with questions at quarterback, they each boast one of the nation’s top tailbacks in Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Oregon’s Royce Freeman.
Expect an intense, pitched battle that will prove highly important in both the College Football Playoff and Pac-12 title chases.
7. Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech
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What if I told you two border rivals who rarely meet are getting together on the infield of a NASCAR speedway noted for its noise levels, intensity and overall fan experience? You’d be excited, right? Well, get excited for Tennessee-Virginia Tech. The Volunteers and Hokies will meet Sept. 10 at Bristol Motor Speedway in one of the most eagerly anticipated games in recent college football history.
Although some premium tickets are still available, “The Battle At Bristol” is expected to attract more than 150,000 fans, which would smash the record for the biggest crowd in college football history (115,109 for Notre Dame-Michigan in 2013), per Grant Ramey of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. And it should be an excellent game, as well.
Virginia Tech will be playing its second game under new coach Justin Fuente, who brings in a fast-paced attack for a program that had stagnated under Frank Beamer, who retired after 29 seasons in Blacksburg. Meanwhile, Tennessee hopes to take the next step after five-, seven- and nine-win seasons under Butch Jones’ guidance. It’ll be one of the best settings of 2016—one you’ll want to tune in for.
6. Ohio State at Oklahoma
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Urban Meyer has built Ohio State back into a national power, but 2016 will test his coaching prowess and potentially his patience. The Buckeyes won a national title two years ago and just missed another College Football Playoff trip last fall, with a 17-14 final-play loss to Michigan State all that kept them out.
However, Ohio State returns just eight starters after losing 12 NFL draftees from 2015’s roster, including tailback Ezekiel Elliott and defensive end Joey Bosa.
Meyer will rely heavily on freshmen, so why not test them early in the crucible that is Oklahoma’s Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium? They’ll get the opportunity Sept. 17. A matchup against the Sooners, a returning College Football Playoff team led by star quarterback Baker Mayfield, will show the Buckeyes just what they’re made of.
This game should shape the early-season College Football Playoff conversation and is worth tuning in for, no matter which program you root for.
5. Michigan at Michigan State
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Jim Harbaugh doesn’t seem like the kind of person who forgets much or forgives easily. In other words, watch out, Michigan State. Last fall, the Spartans gave him a memory that won’t be erased soon, for all the wrong reasons.
With just seconds remaining, Michigan led its rival, 23-21, and needed only to execute a successful punt to secure a win over the Spartans. Instead, Michigan punter Blake O’Neill muffed the snap. It was knocked free and went into the arms of Jalen Watts-Jackson, who raced 38 yards for a stunning game-winning score.
That helped propel the Spartans to a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff, and it was one of only three losses in Harbaugh’s debut season at his alma mater.
The teams meet again Oct. 29 in Spartan Stadium, and Michigan hopes to reverse the trend that has seen it lose seven of the teams’ last eight encounters. The Wolverines should be one of the Big Ten’s best teams, while MSU is reloading. Still, this game will not lack for intensity or emotion.
4. Stanford at Notre Dame
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If you’re into well-played, taut football at a high level, Stanford-Notre Dame is your kind of game. The Cardinal and Fighting Irish are two of the nation’s premier programs, and their recent meetings have come down to the wire.
The last four games have each been decided by a touchdown or less, including Stanford’s 38-36 win last season, which was clinched on a final-play field goal. This game has been a matchup of Top 25 teams in each of the last five seasons, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t be that way when the teams meet in South Bend on Oct. 15.
Notre Dame will try to contain Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey for a second consecutive season; he was largely held in check last fall with 94 yards on 27 carries. The Irish should have their quarterback competition settled by then; they’ll face off with a rugged Stanford defense.
This should be an excellent intersectional game that shapes the College Football Playoff picture. It’s worth your energy to tune in.
3. Clemson at Florida State
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When Miami joined the ACC in 2004 and the league adopted a two-division format, the Hurricanes were placed in the Coastal Division and rival Florida State in the Atlantic, with the idea that they’d meet every year and leave open the option for a rematch in the league title game. It’s 2016, and that has yet to happen. Instead, Clemson-Florida State has supplanted the Sunshine State showdown as the league’s best rivalry and its most meaningful.
Since 2009, the winner of Clemson-Florida State has represented the Atlantic in the ACC title game, and Clemson and FSU have combined to win the last five ACC titles. 2016’s meeting, set for Oct. 29 in Tallahassee, should be equally important.
Clemson is trying to build on a 14-1 record, ACC title and national runner-up finish in 2015. The Seminoles were 10-3 last fall but won the previous four ACC titles, taking a BCS national title and College Football Playoff appearance in that period.
Jimbo Fisher’s team represents the biggest stumbling block between Clemson and another ACC championship. The Tigers have not won in Doak Campbell Stadium since taking a 27-20 victory in 2006. Led by freshman Deshaun Watson, Clemson nearly knocked off the Seminoles there two years ago, fumbling away a chance to win in regulation before falling 23-17 in overtime.
Watson has developed into the nation’s best quarterback. Last fall, he became the first FBS quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. He’ll be a strong Heisman Trophy contender, but the Clemson defense will have to contain FSU tailback Dalvin Cook, a home run hitter of a back and a threat to score every time he touches the ball. This game will be must-see TV.
2. Michigan at Ohio State
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The final full regular-season Saturday of the college football season is the season’s best as far as traditional rivalries are concerned, and in recent times, it has always begun with one of the nation’s premier rivalry clashes. Michigan-Ohio State typically has a noon ET spot on ABC, an excellent way for the nation to start its post-Thanksgiving gridiron feast. It’d be a surprise if their next meeting, set for Nov. 26 in Columbus, didn’t occupy that spot as well. It should be a lot of fun.
Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer are on course to recreate the classic “10-Year War” that Michigan coach Bo Schembechler and his mentor, Ohio State’s Woody Hayes, engaged in during the 1970s. Michigan won the “war,” 5-4-1, but the games were famously intense on both sidelines.
Meyer left Florida burnt out but has rejuvenated himself at Ohio State, going 50-4 with a national title in four seasons. Harbaugh took Michigan from 5-7 to 10-3 in his first season as head coach and isn’t content with that, keeping the Wolverines in the headlines with trademark intensity and energy.
And you’d better believe he isn’t happy about Ohio State’s 42-13 win in Ann Arbor last fall. Harbaugh has been undaunted, using his Twitter account to fire barbs at the Buckeyes. Will he be able to back up his words?
These teams should be the favorites in the Big Ten East, and chances are they’ll arrive in the regular-season finale battling for the division title and potentially much more. This game is a fun watch even when Michigan and Ohio State are average. This year, it’ll be so much better.
1. Alabama at LSU
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Like it or not, the SEC West is college football’s toughest division. With Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Texas A&M, there are no “gimme” games for the division’s best. Expansion has only made the West stronger, but the West’s best game involves two division veterans.
Alabama and LSU play similar styles, with head-bashing ground games and stingy defenses. The two schools recruit against each other, know each other well and don’t like one another. Between them, they have six national championships since 2003 (five by Nick Saban, one by Les Miles, with four of Saban’s titles at Alabama and one at LSU as Miles’ predecessor).
The game consistently has SEC and national title implications, and it’s always hard-fought. Of the last dozen meetings, seven have been decided by a touchdown or less, and four have gone to overtime.
It's a meaningful game, as Saban told AL.com's John Talty last fall:
"LSU has become a little bit of a rivalry game because their program has become so good. This game usually has a lot of significance coming down to the ninth game of the season because we've had some success too. That's what's made it a national interest game, that's what's made it a rivalry game and that's what's made it an important game. So it's a real compliment to them.
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Alabama’s visit to LSU Nov. 5 has strong potential to continue that trend. Leonard Fournette will be angry after being held to 31 yards in a 30-16 defeat in Tuscaloosa last fall, and the Crimson Tide will have had plenty of time to adjust to their usual litany of NFL and graduation-related departures and should be rolling full steam.
This game will be meaningful, intense and, as always, a whole lot of fun to watch.
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