By: Christian Goeckel

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

With the kickoff of college football on the horizon, we take a look at the most intriguing games of the upcoming regular season.

10 – Georgia Tech – Tennessee 9/4 (Atlanta, Ga) –Starting to feel his seat warm, a season-opening matchup against the triple option attack of the Yellow Jackets can’t be what Butch Jones had in mind. Meanwhile, Paul Johnson is licking his chops thinking about embarrassing the SEC on a national stage…. Again.

9 – Auburn at Clemson 9/9 –The Tigers took the Tigers to the brink last year… Get it? But seriously, Auburn’s defense put up maybe the best opposition against the Deshaun Watson led Clemson offense a year ago. With both teams breaking in a new guy under center, don’t be surprised to hear a bunch of ‘War Eagles’ coming from Death Valley.

8- Texas at USC 9/16 – The first matchup between these two since perhaps the best National Championship of all time, 11 years ago. Tom Herman will be walking into his third game as the head man at Texas, against a USC team that’s a heavy favorite to make the CFP. With Sam Darnold a projected number 1 pick, and Shane Buechele coming off a stellar freshman campaign, expect a ton of fireworks in this one.

7 – UGA at Notre Dame 9/9 – Kirby Smart enters his second season at the helm for Georgia with a ton of expectations. Brian Kelly is trying to put the 4-8 monstrosity that was last season behind him. With Eason finding his stride and the Chubb/Michel duo perhaps the best in the nation, this could be the launching point for a great year in Athens.

6 – Florida – Michigan 9/2 (Arlington, Tx) – Zeke Elliot and Dak Prescott lit it up for the Cowboys in Jerry World last season. As the Gators and Wolverines matchup on that same field, don’t expect the same offensive fireworks. Now that’s not to say this will be an entertaining game. In fact, it should be quite the opposite. Both teams return elite defenses that love demolishing other teams O’s. Don’t be surprised if one team’s defense outscores their offense.

5 – Florida – UGA 10/28 (Jacksonville, Fl) – The Gators have won the past three meetings at the cocktail party. They have also won the SEC East the past two years. If the Dawgs want to take the next step they must figure out a way to take down a Florida team that has owned this rivalry. The winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat to attempt to dethrone the Tide.

4 – Oklahoma at Oklahoma State 11/4 – Okie State was a missed call away last year from this game being a sudo quarterfinal for the CFP. Both teams offenses will be top 10 nationally. Pair that with where this game falls on the schedule, it has all the makings of a classic.

3 – Ohio State at Michigan 11/25 – The Spot. A couple of inches ended Michigan’s season last year, in the first ever overtime game in this series history. If this game can prove half as exciting as last year’s affair, we’re in for a treat. Put on your khakis and buckle up.

2 – LSU at Alabama 11/4 – If anyone could make this slobber – knocker of a series anymore nasty it was Coach O. Ed Orgeron should have his Tigers in position to give the Tide everything they can handle. Meanwhile, Nick Saban has just reloaded in Tuscaloosa after sending 9 player to the first three rounds of the draft. This game should be nothing but haymakers, uppercuts, and every other boxing term you can think of. The only thing that missing will be Verne Lundquist in the booth.

1 – Alabama – Florida State 9/2 (Atlanta, GA) – What a way to open up the Mercedes Benz Stadium. This game features the two best head coaches in the game. This Game is a glorified reunion for pretty much every player in the past four Under Armor and Army All- American games. This game could very well be replayed on January 8th for the nation championship in, get this, the very same stadium. This game is the reason we will all be impatiently tapping our feet for the next 100 days as we wait for the kickoff of our dearly beloved, sorely missed, beautiful in all its glory college football.