College football season is closer than we all think. This is the time of year when official information about the upcoming campaign is released and in a little over three months, the pageantry and suspense will be back in full form.
On Thursday, ESPN announced it's Week 1 lineup and it's fantastic. Keep in mind the world wide leader in sports owns ABC as well, so all of the primetime games we care about the most fall under this umbrella.
It's an impressive slate from top to bottom, but here are the Top-5 games in the college football's opening week.
5. Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech, Monday Sept. 4, 8 p.m. ESPN
Week 1 is the best because we get an extra game on Monday night before the NFL kicks off. This year it will be a ACC vs. SEC clash between Georgia Tech and Tennessee in Atlanta.
Most folks are going to look at this on the surface and hop on the Vols' bandwagon and I get it. Butch Jones always finds a way to spring hope into the fan base, even if the evidence is hard to come by. In all honesty, this is the year Tennessee will probably surprise some folks. There isn't a bunch of hype surrounding the 2017 group an the pressure, at least on the players, should be relatively low.
Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets are coming off a productive 9-4 outing. The triple option isn't always a thrill to witness, but it will be fun to see the stout Tennessee defense try to contain it after a year's time to prepare.
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4. NC State vs. South Carolina, Saturday Sept. 3, 3 p.m. ESPN
This one might be ranked No. 4 but it could become one of the more interesting matchups of the opening weekend. I've been high on N.C. State's potential and firmly believe they are one of the most underrated squads in the ACC. Ryan Finley is returning at quarterback on an offense loaded with playmakers. The Wolfpack own one of the top defensive lines in the country, with four players who will get their names called in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Year two of the Will Muschamp project is filled with a ton of question marks for South Carolina. A 6-7 record isn't going to cut it in the SEC, but there was reason for optimism, particularly on defense. The Gamecocks will hope for a breakout season from sophomore quarterback Jake Bentley, who helped South Carolina make a late run in 2016 when his number was called.
I don't think this is going to be a shootout, but it could very well turn out as a physical, defensive battle with a few offensive breakthroughs that make it interesting.
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3. Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia, Sunday Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m. ABC
Bonus football once again! In a rare Sunday night college football game, Virginia Tech and West Virginia (two teams that held an old-school rivalry back in the day) will meet at FedEx Field in Maryland to kick off the 2017 campaign.
The Hokies shocked the college football world a season ago by claiming the coastal division in Justin Fuente's first year. I loved that hire and think Fuente is a fantastic head coach, but it would be naive to overlook the talent he inherited. This year is a different story, with massive departures at so many notable positions. There are three solid QB options in Blacksburg but each is unproven and unknown. Bud Foster's defense should be great once again — which will be paramount against the high-powered Mountaineers.
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West Virginia was flirting with the Top-25 all last season and made several pushes toward the College Football Playoff before sputtering at the end of the season. The Mountaineers will bank on the success of transfer QB Will Grier, who shined at Florida before getting suspended for performance enhancing drugs. This game will feature a ton of unknowns going in, but should turn out great nonetheless.
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2. Michigan vs. Florida, Saturday Sept. 2, 3:30 p.m. ABC
There will surely be insane expectations surrounding Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines after they barely missed the College Football Playoff a season ago. In the primetime afternoon slot of the opening week, Michigan will be tested by Florida in a neutral site game at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas.
I'm sure there are people shaking their heads at this game coming in at No. 2, so let me present my case. For Michigan, this a must-win game that could easily become a trap. Okay it's not technically a must-win but a loss would be an awful look. Harbaugh's group rattled off W's in its first nine games last year and rode that momentum as long as possible. The Michigan fan base went from deflated to overjoyed in just one season and they expect progress not another step back. Harbaugh is the hottest name when any NFL or college coaching vacancy comes open and he wants to win in Ann Arbor right now, so a big-time victory over a SEC squad is a solid step in the right direction.
On the other end of the spectrum is Florida, a team with a rich history that's desperately hoping to return to relevancy in the ultra-talented SEC. Jim McElwain has been good enough during his two seasons leading the ship (19-8), but good enough only gets you so far in the south. This team has consistently relied on defense while producing abysmal offense (last in SEC in 2016) and that will have to change if the Gators want to compete for national titles on a regular basis.
This is the classic tale of two stalwart defenses clashing head to head, and surprisingly, it's the first ever regular season meeting between the two legendary programs. I have a feeling one offense will surprise us, but I'm not sure which one it will be quite yet.
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1. Florida State vs. Alabama, Saturday Sept. 2, 8 p.m. ABC
This one needs little introduction or pep rally. There's a reason it's slated in the premiere primetime slot on Saturday night, and anyone who got an early glimpse into the 2017-18 schedule could have predicted this would be the big opener.
Jimbo Fisher — who learned under Nick Saban as the offensive coordinator for LSU from 2000-2006 — is bringing a talent laden roster to the matchup that could very well give the Tide an early loss. The Seminoles have garnered a ton of early hype and most believe they will make a run toward the College Football Playoff. Could we be seeing a preview of the title game in September? It's certainly possible.
Alabama enters the game losing a ton of key pieces, particularly on defense, but we've seen this story play out over and over again. Saban brings in the nation's best talent and reloads. The Crimson Tide has reached the championship game five out of the last eight years so there's no reason to think Saban's group won't be one of the top teams in the land once again.
Two dual-threat quarterbacks, a ton of weapons and top-tier defenses under the lights? Yes please.
