ESPN just announced that College GameDay Week 1 (September 2) will head to Charlotte, NC (neutral location) for “The Battle of the Carolinas,” UNC vs. the USC Gamecocks. What about the rest of September? Here are my picks for Weeks 2-5.
Week 2: Saturday, September 9: Two options stand out—Nebraska at Colorado and Texas at Alabama. Though many fans are eager to see Deion Sanders’ first home game for the Buffaloes, my pick is Texas-Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a contest that features two historic football programs. It will be the first of many future meetings when the Longhorns transition to the SEC next year. Fans will see how well the Tide reboots after last year’s failed CFP attempt and if Texas is as good as promised. The Longhorns are the media’s pick to win the rugged Big 12.
Week 3: Saturday, September 16: I think ESPN will head to Boone, North Carolina, and showcase two Group of Five schools, East Carolina vs. Appalachian State. This East (Greenville)-West (Boone) North Carolina showdown will take place at a stadium noted for breathtaking foliage views. It will also show the country just how good Group of Five football can be.
Week 4: Saturday, September 23: Ohio State at Notre Dame is a dream match, a contest between historical programs that college football fans won’t want to miss, especially with the pre-season hype about the Buckeye’s highly-rated WR prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. There’s also an enduring question–Can the Irish compete with top Power 5 teams?
Week 5: Saturday, September 30: Here’s another one that will draw Saturday eyeballs–USC travels east to take on the Colorado Buffaloes. This game has the makings of a ratings-buster because the nation is eager to watch the magnetic Deion Sanders and his son, QB Shedeur Sanders. USC. Meanwhile, USC finds itself in the Texas/Notre Dame category: How good is this team?
K-Wright, love the games highlighted, and I think you’re spot-on, but the biggest question mark for me in the Ohio State-Notre Dame game is, does OSU have a QB who can get the ball to Harrison, Jr.? Replacing CJ Stroud, the #2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft (and for many, he should’ve been #1 overall), is not going to be an easy task for Ryan Day and OSU. We’ll see. The Colorado v. USC game too will be a huge must-see as it also pits QB Sanders vs. the projected Heisman winner, Caleb Williams. College football is back!
Excellent, right on top of things!