College football is less than two weeks away. “Talkin’ season” as former Florida Gators Heisman Trophy winner and head coach Steve Spurrier coined it is all but over. In recent years, it seems there is maybe one game worth watching in week one. Last year is a perfect example as we saw the Tennessee Volunteers take on the Virginia Cavaliers, in what many deemed as the best SEC matchup of the weekend.
This year however is totally different. The SEC has stepped up their game it appears as far as non-conference scheduling and we have some real gems in store for us starting in week one. Two games see both teams with top 25 preseason rankings according to the AP poll, while two more are promising to be good watches as well.
SEC games to watch in week one
Georgia (1) vs. Clemson (14)
The Georgia Bulldogs bring back another solid defense which has ranked first in the SEC in points per game allowed since 2021. They also return starting quarterback Carson Beck who enters 2024 as a Heisman Trophy front-runner. In the backfield, the Bulldogs are loaded as well with Trevor Etienne, Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson.
For the Clemson Tigers, they are looking for a win to propel them back to being one of the top contenders in college football after a disappointing past few seasons. Last season began with a loss for the Tigers to the Duke Blue Devils who until Mike Elko’s arrival were never known as anything more than a basketball school.
The Tigers return starting quarterback Cade Klubnik who threw for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns for a Clemson offense that seemingly struggled in 2023. Now with experience, the former five-star from Austin, Texas looks to start the Tigers off the right way in 2024 this time around.
The game will be shown at 12:00 PM ET on ABC.
Vanderbilt vs. Virginia Tech
This is not a ranked matchup, but is highly underrated as the Commodores made some big changes in the offseason that should see them improved on both sides of the ball. Two of the biggest changes were bringing in former New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill as head coach Clark Lea’s assistant, and Lea returning to play-calling duties on the defensive side of the ball.
In the Commodores’ best season under Lea in 2022, he was responsible for calling plays and led them to a 5-7 record. Watch of for Lea and the Commodores this season as the surprise SEC team in 2024 .
The Virginia Tech Hokies bring back starting quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten who were quite the tandem for the Hokies in 2023 under head coach Brent Pry. Pry looks to improve on the 7-6 record for the Hokies from 2023 and his third year could see a massive turnaround. What better way to start the season that watching these two power four schools go at it.
The game will be shown at 12:00 ET on ESPN.
Florida vs. Miami (19)
This in-state affair will be played in the stifling Gainesville hear at 3:30 PM ET on ABC. The Hurricanes and Gators are both looking for program turnarounds in their third seasons with their respective coaches. This in-state battle is huge for recruiting. For the Gators, if head coach Billy Napier loses this contest, it could spell the end of his tenure in Gainesville as he has failed to have a winning season in his first two years.
The game will be shown at 3:30 PM ET on ABC.
Texas A&M (20) vs. Notre Dame (7)
This one figures to be close. The Texas A&M Aggies are in their first season under new head coach Mike Elko who was previously at the school as defensive coordinator from 2018-2021. Elko went 16-9 in two seasons as the head for the Duke Blue Devils and looks to build on his success in year one with the Aggies. Keep your eye on defensive end Nic Scourton in this one who transfers in from Purdue where he totaled 10.5 sacks in 2023.
On Notre Dame’s side of the ball, Riley Ferguson will be quarterbacking the Irish. The interesting thing here is that he was Elko’s quarterback the past two seasons in Durham. With the familiarity to some extent on both side of the ball, this should be quite the intriguing matchup with both teams ranked in the top 25 going into the season.
The game will be shown at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.