SEC Football: 4 must-see non-conference games for 2022 season

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 31: Brock Bowers #19 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Michigan Wolverines in the Capital One Orange Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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Auburn Tigers running back Tank Bigsby (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

4 must-see SEC Football non-conference games for 2022 season

SEC Football teams have always been criticized for their out of conference schedules.

They have long been known for playing FCS opponents (just like everybody else), placing a bye strategically the week before to get ready, and mainly scheduling neutral site games so they wouldn’t have to truly go on the road.

But in recent years those non-conference games have been the best, and most consequential, games of the entire college football season.

A prime example is Georgia and Notre Dame’s home-and-home series in 2017 and 2019. Those games played a pivotal role in the college football rankings late in the season.

To begin next year, the Georgia Bulldogs will play the Oregon Ducks and the Florida Gators will play the Utah Utes, both for the first time since 1977.

LSU with Brian Kelly now at the helm will face Florida State in week 1 as well.

And Alabama will travel to Austin, Texas to play the Texas Longhorns in week 2. That’s their first matchup since the 2010 BCS National Championship game.

Here is a deeper look at each of those four matchups.

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