Top 10 Games You Need to Watch in 2017 College Football Season (Sports Illustrated)

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In our second week of college football top 10 lists here on ?SI.com, we’re spinning things forward and taking a look at 10 games you need to watch in 2017. These should be some of the most competitive and fun matchups, and most seem likely to have implications for conference title games and the College Football Playoff. There’s one surprise game mixed in to give a reprieve from the Power 5 and offer a look at some of the better teams from outside of the major conferences.

Of course, surprises will creep up; I can’t imagine putting a Penn State game on this type of list last summer, and the Nittany Lions played in one of the most entertaining regular-season games last fall. That said, armed with what we know (or what we think we know), here are 10 games to plan to watch or set your DVRs to record this season.

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Sept. 2: Florida State vs. Alabama in Atlanta

On the first Saturday of the college football season, we get to see the team that’s No. 1 in nearly every preseason poll against a team that many people are ranking No. 2. It’s not every year this happens, let alone in a brand-new NFL stadium. (In fact, the opening of Falcons’ new home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium keeps getting pushed back, so it will have been in use for just a few weeks at the time of this game.) Alabama is a 4.5-point favorite almost three months out from the matchup, but a lot could change between now and Week 1.

What’s most interesting about this game isn’t necessarily its potential playoff implications; the loser could very well still have a good shot at making the field of four come December, should it win out. Instead, watch this game for what we might learn about these teams as they play potentially their toughest matchups right out of the gate. How has Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts developed in the off-season? And what about Deondre Francois, his Florida State counterpart? Both teams will feature top-notch defenses, and Alabama may feel the bigger loss of personnel on that side of the ball from a year ago. But the Seminoles will have adjusting of their own to do, having lost star running back Dalvin Cook to the NFL.

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Sept. 9: Georgia at Notre Dame

Coming off a disastrous 2016 season that saw his team go 4–8, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is on the hot seat going into this fall. A big early win against a Power 5 opponent would strengthen his case that last year was an aberration, but doing so with a new quarterback, Brandon Wimbush, may be tough.

Georgia, meanwhile, is trying to prove it’s a contender again this season after a mediocre 8–5 finish a year ago. In fact, the Bulldogs haven’t finished with more than 10 wins since 2012, but this group could the one to right the ship. Quarterback Jacob Eason, who started as a true freshman last fall, now has a year of experience to build on, and the Bulldogs’ secondary finished 2016 on an upswing it hopes will persist. Georgia is also counting on improved offensive line to get running back Nick Chubb back into pre-injury form.

There’s a lot to be sorted out for these two teams, but this game is likely to present an SEC contender hit its stride. And as great a story as a resurgent Notre Dame would be, the impending end of the Kelly era would be nearly as interesting.

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Nov. 25: Alabama at Auburn

And finally, we come to the Iron Bowl and Auburn’s debut on this list. Alabama, after opening against Florida State, will likely cruise through much of the rest of the season, should its talent level be even close to what it’s been in recent years. Its toughest mid-season test will come ?on Nov. 4 against LSU, and then with Mississippi State and Mercer up next, it’ll get a slight break before the season-ending rivalry game. As usual, this matchup should determine the winner of the SEC West—or at least have some SEC Championship Game implications. Auburn, too, will likely be in the hunt.

The Tigers this season will have transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham under center, and expectations are high. He didn’t do much to dull the chatter during Auburn’s spring game, when he completed 16 of 20 passes for 267 yards and rushed for a touchdown. The Tigers also brings back eight starters on defense and talented kicker Daniel Carlson, making them one of the more complete teams entering the season in college football—and one of the biggest threats to Alabama’s supremacy in the SEC.

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