Texas @ Michigan, Week 2:
This is Sherrone Moore’s first big test as a full-time head coach against a team that was a touchdown away from making the national championship. What more could you want? Although the Wolverines return only 36% of their roster and will have a whole new offense, they have the advantage of this game being in Ann Arbor.
Quinn Ewers still leads the Longhorn offense, but he won’t have the weapons he did last year as Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell are off to the NFL. Texas brings in three transfer wide receivers: Alabama’s Isaiah Bond, Houston’s Matthew Golden, and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden.
This win would be huge for the Longhorn’s playoff resume, seeing how the committee has valued non-conference wins in the past.
Penn State @ West Virginia, Week 1:
This game could be an interesting week one test for the Nittany Lions. James Franklin has been under fire for not getting over the hump with a 4-16 combined record against Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State returns QB Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, who were parts of the second-highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten last year.
The Mountaineers are no pushover. Neal Brown’s team ended the year on a three-game winning streak, including a dominant win against North Carolina 30-10 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Headlined by the running back tandem of Jaheim White and CJ Donaldson, don’t be surprised if West Virginia gives Penn State a run for their money in Morgantown.
Alabama @ Wisconsin, Week 3:
Camp Randall is one of the most challenging places to play in college football. Luke Fickell enters his second year as head coach of the Badgers after a 7-6 season filled with injuries. Wisconsin's two transfer quarterbacks, Miami's Tyler Van Dyke and Mississippi State's Braedyn Locke, will have the gift of playing behind an offensive line filled with experience.
But you can't overlook that this will be Kalen DeBoer's first true road test as head coach of the Crimson Tide. Given what the former Washington head coach has done with Michael Penix Jr. in the past, Jalen Milroe will benefit a lot from DeBoer this season.
A win for Alabama would boost the confidence of a team that has the SEC gauntlet on deck, including games against Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
USC @ LSU, Week 1:
A matchup between two of college football’s most prestigious brands, week one, in Las Vegas? Sign me up. Lincoln Riley and USC hope to build on the promise they saw from quarterback Miller Moss in last year’s Holiday Bowl win against Louisville.
The Trojans also hope to have a much-improved defense than Riley’s teams have had in the past. USC hired new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn after firing Alex Grinch midseason last year.
It’ll be a tough first test for this new-look defense, as LSU poses a major threat. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan helped former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels to a Heisman trophy season last year, and he hopes to do the same with first-year starter Garrett Nussmeier. Both teams with high expectations could benefit from a week one win in the expanded playoff era.
Colorado @ Nebraska, Week 2:
Two of this offseason's most-talked-about teams meet in Lincoln during the second week of the season. Nebraska hopes to break through in the Matt Rhule era this year, and expectations are rising with the positive reports of freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola out of camp. The Cornhuskers also added a couple of transfer receivers in Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor to complement Raiola.
However, the big story will be whether Nebraska can hold off Colorado's 1-2 punch of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. The Buffs went on a three-game winning streak before Hunter went down with an injury against Colorado State that held him out for nearly a month. Colorado has brought in some new faces on the offensive line, which was a huge reason they struggled at the end of last season.
Both teams can really benefit from a win here. Will Nebraska grab a key win before a favorable early Big Ten schedule? Or will Deion and company prove the doubters wrong with another non-conference road win?
