There are plenty of games every year that are worth looking forward to in the college football season. Specifically, nonconference games can have a lot of hype to them. Here are the 10 best nonconference games in college football in 2024.
10. Penn State Nittany Lions at West Virginia Mountaineers (Aug. 31)
An old rivalry is getting reignited this year. Penn State leads the all-time series and won the game last season. This one will be at West Virginia.
Penn State is coming off a 10-win season. There are 12 returning starters total, which includes quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nicholas Singleton. The offensive line has some new faces, but Ohio State transfer Julian Flemming bolsters the wide receiver room. Defensively, they ranked third in the country last season and the emergence of edge rusher Abdul Carter could have them playing well again this season.
The Mountaineers had a surprisingly good season in 2023, winning nine games. Garrett Greene is back at quarterback, while the offensive line has three starters back. On defense, they have five starters returning, but really need to turn things up this season.
Currently, Penn State is favored by 10.5 on the road, but the rivalry could make it closer.
9. Miami Hurricanes at Florida Gators (Aug. 31)
A rivalry always makes this game worth checking out, but both teams are in need of showing improvement this season. The last time these teams played was 2019, so this game will have some anticipation.
Miami won seven games last season after winning five in Mario Cristobal’s first season with the Hurricanes. Cam Ward transfers in from Washington State to bring some new life to the offense and so too will former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez. With returning offensive linemen and wide receivers, the team could score more than the 31.5 points per game last season. Defensively, they ranked 42nd last season, but the emergence of Reuben Bain Jr. as a good pass rusher could help push them to the top of the ACC.
Florida has one of the toughest schedules, making this game crucial. Graham Mertz showed signs of improvement in his first season at Florida. They ranked 57th as an offense, so if he continues to develop, that could improve. The defense wasn’t great last season, but does return six starters. Winning this game could get some the heat off of Billy Napier to start the season.
Miami is favored to win by 2.5 right now so it is a coin-flip. This rivalry will have the winning team riding high for the rest of the season.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide at Wisconsin Badgers (Sep. 14)
This is a big trip for Alabama as the first big game without Nick Saban. Luke Fickell will hope his Badgers can improve from last season.
Alabama has an electrifying quarterback returning in Jalen Milroe to help Keln DeBoer transition into the head coaching job. Other skill position players will need to produce in their first chance with Alabama, but the offensive line should be good. Defensively, the unit ranked 16th in the country, but won’t have a ton of experience returning.
The Badgers have Tyler Van Dyke taking over at quarterback after transferring from Miami. He’ll have eight returning starters back to help him. The defense was good in year one under Fickell, as they ranked 20th in the country and can build on that. Winning seven games a year ago was a good start, but a win in this game could signal improvement for Fickell’s squad.
This will be a big test for the new leadership at Alabama and a win could get them on the right track for the CFP.
7. Louisville Cardinals at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Sep. 18)
Louisville and Notre Dame met last season and the Cardinals were able to win. Now Notre Dame will be looking for revenge.
The Cardinals have added Tyler Shough from the transfer portal to play quarterback and they also acquired some weapons in the same fashion. Getting Ashton Gillotte back helps a defense that has five other returning starters and played decently last season. If Jeff Brohm can get the offense going, Louisville has a chance to make a run in the ACC.
Notre Dam has another transfer quarterback in Riley Leonard to help the offense. Wide receivers Beaux Collins and Kris Mitchell have also joined the team from Clemson and FIU respectively. New tackles need to step into the offensive line, but the running game could be good too with Jeremiah Love stepping into the starting lineup. Defensively, the Irish had a top 10 unit last season and return good players up front and in the secondary.
Notre Dame could be looking at going to the CFP and Louisville would love to beat them for the second straight year to make that more difficult.
6. NC State Wolfpack vs. Tennessee Volunteers (Sep. 7) (Game in Charlotte)
Two teams who are ranked in the preseason will match up in Charlotte this season.
NC State won nine games last season despite having quarterback issues. Now, Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall will play quarterback after producing a ton over the last several seasons. He’ll have talented receiver Kevin Concepcion heading into his second season to help improve the offense. The defense loses some talent, but they do have five starters returning including cornerback Aydan White.
The Volunteers will be turning things over to Nico Iamaleava at quarterback. He played well in limited action last season and now will have a full season with plenty of talent around him. On defense, there isn’t much returning talent, but edge rusher James Pearce Jr. could be an All-American this season.
Tennessee will likely be favored, but with it being early in the season and with them having so many new parts, NC State can make it a really close game.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Texas A&M Aggies (Aug. 31)
This game will feature a great environment behind two big programs. It will also have a quarterback going against his former coach.
As mentioned Leonard is joining Notre Dame this season. He formerly played for Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko at Duke. His experience can help the Notre Dame offense deal with a hostile environment. Their defense, specifically Xavier Watts and Benjamin Morisson in the secondary will have to make plays against the Texas A&M passing attack.
The Aggies have a new person in charge, but they have retained a lot of high-level recruits to help the process move along. Quarterback Conner Weigman hasn’t been able to play a lot, but was a highly-touted recruit that has drawn the eyes of NFL Draft followers already. Six other starters return to help him push forward the 24th-ranked offense. On defense, Elko’s speciality, they return four players, but have reinforcements coming from the transfer portal.
A win in this game could give Elko a good start to his time at Texas A&M, while a win for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame could set them on the path to the CFP.
4. LSU Tigers vs. USC Trojans (Aug. 31) (Game in Las Vegas, NV)
Two historic programs will meet in Las Vegas to open the season. Both are going through some transitions.
LSU will be replacing Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and his favorite receivers. Garrett Nussmeier will play quarterback behind an experienced and talented offensive line. The real unit that has to improve is the defense, which was putrid last season. Linebacker Harold Perkins and other players are really talented, but a big leap needs to be taken on that side of the ball.
USC is losing Caleb Williams at quarterback, but Miller Moss did play well in the bowl game. He’ll have a great target in Zachariah Branch who has great speed. The defense only brings back four starters, which makes things difficult, as they were one of the worst in the country last season.
The Tigers are favored by six right now for this opening weekend game, which could feature a lot of offense.
3. Florida State Seminoles at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Nov. 9)
Florida State and Notre Dame have had some great battles in the past and this late-season nonconference game will add a new chapter.
The Seminoles are built off the transfer portal and went to it to get their quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei from Oregon State. They ranked 19th on offense last season, but it will be hard to match with a bunch of new faces. The Florida State defense was also a top-20 unit, but return just four starters. That includes edge rusher Patrick Payton who had seven sacks last season.
Notre Dame will face Florida State after they have had time to mesh. The Fighting Irish will need to get pressure on Uiagalelei and make him make mistakes to win this one.
A win for either team could help them stay in the CFP picture late in the season.
2. Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers (Aug. 31) (Game in Atlanta, Georgia)
Georgia and Clemson have met over the years and this game will have a lot of hype to open the season in Atlanta.
The Bulldogs bring back Carson Beck at quarterback, who developed nicely over the last season. An experienced offensive line can help the offense play well again after they ranked fifth in the country last season. Georgia’s defense ranked fifth in the country as well. With six returning starters, they can do a lot of damage, especially since they typically reload on that side of the ball.
Clemson won nine games last year, largely based on their defense. They return just three starters, but their players have some experience. Barrett Carter is one of the best linebackers in the country, while their defensive line has some real NFL talent. The offense has seven starters back, but they weren’t great last season. Cade Klubnik needs to play better at quarterback, but he’ll need help too.
Georgia is favored by about two touchdowns, but Clemson’s defense can keep them in the game.
1. Texas Longhorns at Michigan Wolverines (Sep. 7)
Texas and Michigan both made the CFP last season. Now they will meet early in the season.
The Longhorns get Quinn Ewers back at quarterback to run an offense that ranked 15th. He’ll have new skill position players to play with, but the offensive line is very experienced and talented. The defense has seven starters back, including a lot of talent upfront. They too ranked 15th in the country last season and can improve as well.
Michigan lost a lot of their coaching staff and will have to deal with a new quarterback in Alex Orji. He played a little bit last season and can beat teams with his arm and his legs. Only one starter returns on offense, but they have an experienced running back in Donovan Edwards and a good tight end in Colston Loveland. The defense brings back three starters, but several pro prospects including defensive tackles Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and cornerback Will Johnson.
Texas will be favored to win this game, given all that Michigan has lost, but the Wolverines could surprise people just like they did last season.
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