2024 College Football: Best Games Each Week

With the Associated Press releasing their annual preseason poll today, I figured it was a good time to take a look at each week this season for the best teams in college football. As of right now, only Week 0 will not have two ranked teams against each other. With the new looks for the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC, there’s a lot to be excited about this season.

Week 0: No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (Noon ET, ESPN)

There’s not much to look forward to for Week 0, but an ACC clash in Dublin is the headliner. FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will take the field for the first time as a Seminole, previously playing for Clemson and Oregon State.

Week 1: No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (Noon ET, ABC)

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is one of the preseason favorites to win the Heisman Trophy (+750 per BetMGM, only behind Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel), and he leads the preseason AP No. 1 to a tough opening matchup against Clemson. Former Florida running back Trevor Etienne, safety Malaki Starks and linebacker Mykel Williams are among the best at their positions in the SEC. On the other sideline, Clemson will have quarterback Cade Klubnik returning, but I’m most intrigued by linebacker Barrett Carter, a preseason all-ACC first-team player. It’s a rivalry between bordering states, so I’m excited to watch this one.

Week 2: No. 4 Texas at No. 9 Michigan (Noon ET, FOX)

Two teams from last year’s College Football Playoff will go head-to-head in what could have been the national championship game. Texas is exciting, with quarterback Quinn Ewers and former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond set to be a lethal QB-WR duo this fall. Michigan begins a new era as former head coach Jim Harbaugh jumped ship following scandals involving the team to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. I’m excited for their defense, with cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackle Mason Graham considered arguably the best players at their position in the nation. The offense takes a step back, especially with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum gone. However, running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland will have an impact every week. The quarterback position is still a head-scratcher, as no one on the roster will recreate the production McCarthy brought the past few seasons. According to OurLads, the QB1 is Alex Orji. I’m expecting this to be a defense vs. offense game.

Week 3 (Friday): No. 21 Arizona at No. 18 Kansas State (8 p.m. ET, FOX)

Week 3 is underwhelming compared to weeks 1 and 2. However, the most anticipated game on the FOX College Football Friday schedule comes in Week 3, with two Big 12 title contenders facing off at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Don’t sleep on Arizona. They have one of the best wide receivers in the country: Tetairoa McMillan. Cornerback Tacrio Davis is one of the best defensive backs in the Big 12. On the other side, running back Ollie Gordon II is arguably the best running back in college football. Add that with wide receiver Brennan Presley, and you have two elite playmakers for quarterback Alan Bowman.

Week 4: No. 15 Tennessee at No. 16 Oklahoma (3:30-4:30 or 6-8 p.m. ET)

It is the first season of SEC football for Oklahoma, and their first conference opponent is Tennessee. While Oklahoma doesn’t have the elite quarterback play they had in past seasons, they make up for it with two elite defensive players: linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman. Only one offensive player made one of the three preseason All-SEC teams for the Sooners, wide receiver Deion Burks (third team). Tennessee had back-to-back years of their QB1 going to the NFL Draft (Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton). Now, it’s Nico Iamaleava’s turn to shine. Defensively, the Volunteers have defensive lineman James Pearce Jr., considered a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Week 4 will tell us if Oklahoma is ready for the SEC.

Week 5: No. 1 Georgia at No. 5 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

I already talked about how scary Georgia looks. However, a bigger storyline is Alabama’s first season without head coach Nick Saban, who retired shortly after their Rose Bowl loss to Michigan. I think quarterback Jalen Milroe could be the Heisman Trophy winner. He’s tied for third in best odds with Ewers (+1000), according to BetMGM. They’ll have one of the best offensive lines but a surprising lack of weapons for Milroe, with Jermaine Burton getting drafted, along with Isaiah Bond and Malik Benson transferring. It’ll be a new look offensively, but the defense that has been the Crimson Tide’s anchor for years will still be one of the best units in the country. Leading the defense are linebacker Deontae Lawson and safety Malachi Moore. This will be a heavyweight fight in Tuscaloosa.

Week 6: No. 14 Clemson at No. 10 Florida State

I’ve talked already about both teams, so let’s look at this rivalry’s history. The Seminoles won an overtime thriller last season in Death Valley, breaking a seven-game winning streak by Clemson in the series. The previous two meetings have ended in one-possession games. As of right now, it looks to be the first time both teams are ranked in the AP Poll coming into the game since 2016.

Week 7: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon

How about two of the best teams facing off at the halfway point of the season? Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel replaces Bo Nix and currently sits as the Heisman Trophy favorite (+700) according to BetMGM. With wide receiver Troy Franklin headed to the NFL, all eyes are on Tez Johnson to complete a lethal pairing of him and Gabriel. Defensively, Oregon is led by linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, the latter of the two playing for Washington last season. It’s an understatement to say Ohio State has some studs. They can beat you in many ways. Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins create one of the best running back duos in recent memory. Emeka Egbuka is set to be one of the best wide receivers in the country, but don’t sleep on Jeremiah Smith either. The Buckeyes have arguably the best secondary unit in the country, with cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Caleb Downs (Alabama transfer) considered arguably the best at their respective positions. Along with those two comes the best defensive line in the country, with J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer. This matchup is loaded with NFL talent.

Week 8: No. 1 Georgia at No. 4 Texas (3:30-4:30/6-8 p.m. ET)

While both did not appear in last year’s CFP National Championship, both teams looked capable of winning the title. Both teams are title contenders this season, with a QB battle between Beck and Ewers making this game must-see TV.

Week 9: No. 11 Missouri at No. 5 Alabama (3:30-4:30/6-8 p.m. ET)

While Alabama is considered a powerhouse every year, Missouri was one of the biggest surprises, upsetting Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl last season. Mizzou has wide receiver Luther Burden III, who will easily be the best receiver on the field in this game. Quarterback Brady Cook will return for his redshirt senior year, making the Tigers’ offense one of the best in the country. I’m excited for five-star freshman Williams Nwaneri, who could see playing time at defensive end immediately (despite OurLads saying he’s third string currently). I am interested to see how their defense looks, as defensive coordinator Blake Baker left for LSU to become the highest-paid assistant coach in college football.

Week 10: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 8 Penn State

I went over how I think Ohio State may be the best team in college football, but Penn State is right up there in the AP Top 10. Offensively, the standout to me is running back Nick Singleton, a human highlight reel at times for the Nittany Lions with RB2 Kaytron Allen. Tight end Tyler Warren could surprise people, as I think he’s one of the best at his position in the Big Ten. The biggest question of all is how will quarterback Drew Allar step up this season. His debut was highly anticipated, but he needs to do more to help Penn State’s offense, which cannot afford to rely as much on their running game this season. A huge addition to head coach James Franklin’s offense was former Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming, who will become Allar’s primary target. Defensively, you’ll hear the name Abdul Carter all season long, as he’s one of the best defensive linemen in the country. Penn State sadly isn’t doing their whiteout game for this matchup, but expect fireworks between these two rivals.

Week 11: No. 1 Georgia at No. 6 Ole Miss (3:30-4:30/6-8 p.m. ET)

Ole Miss looks scary this season, with quarterback Jaxson Dart among those that can win the Heisman Trophy. Dart has a lot of weapons at skill positions, including wide receiver Tre Harris, tight end Caden Prieskorn and running back Ulysses Bentley, the latter replacing Judkins. Get excited about Ole Miss’s defensive line, headlined by a trio of Walter Nolen, Jared Ivey and Princely Umanmielen. If the Rebels get defensive stops against opponents such as Georgia, their scary defensive line will be the reason. Georgia as the preseason No. 1 team makes this matchup one of the few games the Bulldogs could lose this season.

Week 12: No. 15 Tennessee at No. 1 Georgia (3:30-4:30/6-8 p.m. ET)

The last time these two rivals faced off in Athens, Georgia blew out Tennessee en route to a second consecutive national title. There’s no Hendon Hooker or Stetson Bennett this time, marking a new chapter in the historic rivalry.

Week 13: No. 5 Alabama at No. 16 Oklahoma (3:30-4:30/6-8 p.m. ET)

Two blue-blood college football programs will meet for the first time as part of the same conference. It’s the first time since 2018 that the two teams face off and the first time that it’s a regular season game since 2003. Alabama has looked invincible at times in my lifetime, but Oklahoma has won three of the last four meetings.

Week 14: No. 9 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (Noon ET, FOX)

Two of the best non-newcomer Big Ten teams meet in another chapter of The Game. Michigan has become Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s kryptonite since Day took over, with only one victory against the Wolverines in 2019. Because he failed to beat Michigan and has not gone to the Big Ten Championship Game since 2020, some fans have called for a new change at head coach. However, Day is 56-8 and has led Ohio State to top-10 finishes each year he’s been the head coach. As it has been in years past, the winner of this game could make it to Indianapolis for the conference title.