Can't-Miss College Football Games in Week 1
The 2013 college football season is here, folks. While some teams are picking on the little schools this weekend, others are gearing up for primetime grudge matches to kick off the season. Long gone are the slew of big-time matchups on opening weekend that saw ranked teams pitted against one another to try and get a leg up early in the championship race. Now most of the big-time programs schedule weak opponents early on as tuneup games, which waste the time of most college football fans. But that's not the case for every single matchup in Week 1 of 2013.
A few ranked teams aren't afraid to mix things up early, including a pair of top-10 teams that are set to kick off the 2013 season with a bang in prime time. Even still, there are other ranked teams playing squads on the fringe of the top 25 and those matchups are sure to give football fans a taste of the real action that will come later this year.
Week 1 is always a way to ease most teams back into the swing of the real action, but we still found five must-watch games for the opening weekend of college football.
Boise State at Washington
Boise State at Washington doesn't jump off the page at first, but the Broncos are once again a top-25 team and the Huskies are looking to break into the rankings with a big win over the popular team with the blue field. Boise State won't have home field advantage, so beware of a Washington upset.
Virginia Tech vs Alabama
Virginia Tech vs Alabama seems like an easy win for the two-time defending champs, but senior Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas is looking to make a strong showing. That's not to say Virginia Tech has a chance at upsetting the Crimson Tide -- we're not that crazy -- but the Hokies should be able to stay within the 20-point spread. Regardless, this one will be fun to watch.
Mississippi State vs Oklahoma State
Mississippi State vs Oklahoma State screams upset alert. Stillwater will be alive right off the bat this year with a hungry SEC challenger looking to knock off the Big 12 favorite right off the bat. Bulldogs senior quarterback Tyler Russell will give the Cowboys all they want and possibly more. Watch out for a Mississippi State upset in this one.
TCU vs LSU
TCU and LSU square off in the Cowboys Classic that features a Horned Frogs team that isn't being given a chance by anyone to win the game. LSU is a big, bad SEC team, but don't sleep on TCU. Gary Patterson's squad will be ready and with Casey Pachall back under center, the Tigers may not know what hit'em by the time this one's over.
Georgia at Clemson
Georgia at Clemson offers a true college football gem to start the season in the prime time slot on Saturday night. These are two top-10 teams that are poised for title runs if they can get past this first contest. Clemson has a chip on its shoulder as the Tigers try to prove this won't be just another disappointing season while the Bulldogs are out to show why they should be feared as a title contender this season.
