2012 College Football Games to Watch

Football season is almost here. Like I've said before, I don't suffer from football withdrawals in the spring and summer. When August gets here, however, I'm ready for it. Very soon, I'll start throwing out my questionable picks week to week.

I'm looking forward to college football.
Notre Dame's new uniform? Not so much.

First, though, I want to look ahead to the top ten games I'm anticipating as the season kicks off.

Honorable mention: I WAS looking forward to the Notre Dame vs. Miami game at Soldier Field on October 6. Then I saw the uniforms Notre Dame will be wearing. Oh, the horror.

10. Boise State at Michigan State - August 31
It's a Friday night season opener in East Lansing. It's really the only challenging game on Boise State's schedule. So, if the Broncos pull this off, the BCS-buster countdown may be on as they could very likely run the table with a soft Mountain West schedule.

9. Florida at Texas A&M - September 8
It's really going to be weird seeing SEC powers in College Station, but I suppose we should get used to it. Kyle Field will absolutely be rocking for this one. Will Muschamp knows this location pretty well from his Texas days, but he could really use a good start after an uninspiring first season.

8. Notre Dame vs Navy in Dublin, Ireland - September 1
It's not so much the game as it is the location. I crossed an item off my bucket list this summer by visiting Ireland, and it was pretty amazing. The Irish go to Ireland for the second time in program history (they also played Navy there in 1996). Hotels across the country are booked solid, and the crowd should be pretty awesome. While this obviously isn't Notre Dame's biggest test of the year, I am curious to get a look at the team and see exactly where they are this year. I'm anxious to wake up Saturday morning and hit play on my DVR to see how it went.

7. West Virginia at Texas - October 6

Holgorsen's return to the Big 12 should be interesting.

This isn't West Virginia's Big 12 debut. That comes the previous week at home against Baylor. That doesn't excite me nearly as much as Dana Holgorsen unleashing his offense on the road against a very tough Texas defense in Austin. It's likely that WVU will come into this game unbeaten. Texas is on the road at Ole Miss and Oklahoma State the previous two weeks. So, they may have a blemish or two. The Longhorns will be a great test for the Mountaineers, though, who could make a run at the Big 12 title in their first year.

6. Alabama at Arkansas - September 15
Hate the conference if you want, but this is the first marquee SEC game of the season. Alabama certainly has national title hopes. Arkansas, after a rough offseason that saw them fire Bobby Petrino, still has enough talent to believe it can win the SEC. The Hogs have a great opportunity at home against an Alabama squad that may still be trying to find its identity this early in the season.

5. Oklahoma at TCU - December 1

It's easily the highest-profile game at TCU's renovated stadium, which is looking really good. The place should be packed, and I just hope the game is meaningful. It almost certainly will be for OU, the preseason Big 12 favorite. Will TCU be relevant in the Big 12 race at this point? For the sake of the Frogs' fans and this game, I hope so.

4. Georgia at Missouri - September 8

Dorial Green-Beckham was a huge get for Missouri.
I'm anxious to see him and the Tigers against Georgia.

Yes, it's a conference game, the Tigers' first in the SEC. I'm very curious to see how they do. Plus, I have a family full of Georgia fans. They're all looking forward to this one, too. They are all anticipating a rude welcome for Missouri to the SEC. To be honest, I think I am, too. However, I am also curious to see how good Missouri freshman Dorial Green-Beckham is against an SEC defense. If record-breaking wide receiver leads the Tigers to a win here, his legend begins and the Tigers make a loud statement in their conference debut.

3. Alabama vs Michigan at Cowboys Stadium - September 1
I always appreciate that one marquee non-conference game on the opening weekend. This is the one to watch. How quickly did Alabama restock the cupboard? Is Denard Robinson (who claims to be faster than Usain Bolt) ready for a Heisman campaign? We'll get a solid look at a pair of BCS contenders. Plus, Michigan is wearing TECHFIT jerseys that aren't quite the eyesore that Notre Dame's are.

2. Oregon at USC - November 3
USC is eligible for bowl games and the national title this year. That makes this year's showdown with the Ducks infinitely more important than last year, and last year's game was pretty darn good. This game usually is. There will be a lot of talent on the field, and we should all expect fireworks. A bowl-banned USC crushed Oregon's national title games a year ago. This could be a chance at redemption for Oregon, or it could be USC all but punching its ticket back to the BCS.

1. Alabama at LSU - November 3
Last year, it was the much-hyped game of the year. Then we got the rematch. While some complained about the lack of offense, I was impressed with the defenses. It was clear to me I was watching the two best teams in the country (sorry, Oklahoma State). Will they be as great this year? Maybe. Maybe not. This game should still decide the SEC West champion and possibly a national championship game participant.

For right now, it's pretty clear that November 3 is the date we should all have circled on our calendars. But, I think we all know that as the season goes along, different games and teams will become relevant while some of these listed above may not be. We'll check in again then.