With the college football season fast approaching, around six weeks until kickoff of week 0, I thought I would give you my top 5 most anticipated games of the 2023 season. Who will have the most impactful games of the season? Who will be the “Cinderella” game to shake up the College Football Playoff?
#5 LSU Tigers vs Florida State Seminoles – Camping World Kickoff (September 3rd)
Coming off one of the most entertaining games of 2022 with Florida State essentially coming up into the Bayou (Mercedes-Benz Superdome) and coming out with arguably one of the biggest wins of the season 24-23 with a missed extra point being the deciding factor of the game, and they treat fans to what could be yet another great matchup this season.
This neutral site game is an early test for both programs, who are on the rise and who I feel are on the verge of the playoff discussion. If these teams are to compete for a CFP appearance, this season-opening game is a borderline must-win, even with the conference title implications not being there. This looks to be a battle of offenses, but don’t sleep on the defenses either, last year was focused on the offense, but the defenses ended up playing a major role in the game. Could we see this again?
#4 Oregon Ducks at Washington Huskies (October 14)
Now let’s go from one coast to the other, as we head to the Pacific Northwest. Our next game is between Oregon and Washington in week seven in Seattle, Washington. The winner of, arguably, the West Coast’s most heated rivalry not only takes home bragging rights, but also earns a step up in the PAC 12 Championship race.
Both Oregon and Washington finished in a tie for second in the league last year, which caused both teams to NOT make the PAC 12 Championship last season. This allowed for Utah (who also finished 7-2 in conference play) to squeak their way to Las Vegas. Whomever comes out of Husky Stadium with the win in 2023, holds the all important tie breaker over the other, should it come down to that yet again.
#3 Georgia Bulldogs at Tennessee Volunteers (November 18)
When it comes to challenges for Georgia in the 2023 season, it’s a lot like a pillow, soft, to say the least. If anyone on that schedule will possibly be a tough test for the Bulldogs, I would have to point to the matchup in Tennessee. This game may very well decide the winner of the SEC East. The Vols may have to go undefeated in conference play in order to have a shot at uprooting the defending champion Bulldogs. If Tennessee has more than one tally in the loss column, the division may likely already be locked up. None the less, Tennessee’s chances of taking down an otherwise untested Bulldogs team is likely to be legitimate.
#2 LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide (November 4)
This matchup on November 4th is moments to say this least. This matchup could be the deciding factor in determining who comes out of the always-daunting SEC West. Alabama and LSU both have National Championship aspirations in 2023, and beating the other comes as a very crucial role in achieving that goal.
LSU’s major 32-31 overtime upset victory last year in Baton Rouge provided one of, if not the most, unique finishes of the season and helped propel them to a top-10 ranking and an SEC Championship game appearance in year one of the Brian Kelly era. If, somehow magically, Kelly finds a way to start 2-0 against the infamous coach Nick Saban, he could be coaching in the CFP a few weeks later.
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines (November 25)
Ohio State and Michigan both qualified for the Playoffs last season. Any match up between two of the top teams in the nation is big, but when the two teams are bitter rivals and are also competing within the same division and conference, the contest becomes even larger, larger than life like. This is the very case with the 2023 edition of The Game, which is more than just a game, but the biggest game of the season. They always say “to the Victor goes the spoils” in the case of this game, that may not be the case. It is very likely that the loser of this game will be in good shape as well.
What are your top five games headed into the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! As always retweets, and shares are appreciated!
-Written by Tyler Leedy
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Tyler Leedy is an all time great writer!!!
All time great football mind.