Planning ahead: 10 big conference showdowns in September

On3 imageby:Mike Huguenin04/11/22

MikeHuguenin

Tough games in September are one thing. Tough conference games in September are something totally different.

Here are 10 games in the first month of the season that will shape — and could even determine — division and conference races. (This is Part 5 of a five-part schedule series. Tuesday, we had a broad overview of conference schedules. Wednesday, we looked at teams that have tough September schedules – and a few that don’t. Thursday, we listed the 25 best non-conference games. And Friday we looked at the 12 most embarrassing non-conference games of the season.)

10. Kansas State at Oklahoma
When: September 24
The buzz: New OU coach Brent Venables’ first Big 12 matchup comes in Game 4, and it comes against his alma mater and where he got his coaching start. Both teams brought in transfer quarterbacks — K-State with Adrian Martinez from Nebraska and Oklahoma with Dillon Gabriel from UCF. Advantage, Sooners. OU held off K-State last season to snap a two-game losing streak against the Wildcats, who finished 8-5. This is a sneaky-tough game for OU, which will have played at Nebraska the week before.

9. Oregon at Washington State
When: September 24
The buzz: The final game in a tough first month for the Ducks, who play Georgia in Atlanta and also host BYU in September. Washington State, meanwhile, travels to Wisconsin in Game 2, so the Cougars’ first month isn’t that easy, either. Oregon’s rebuilt secondary will be tested by the Cougars, who brought in a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback from pass-happy Incarnate Ward (Eric Morris and Cameron Ward, respectively), which lost in the first round of the FCS playoffs last season. Oregon’s new quarterback, former Auburn starter Bo Nix, comes from the transfer portal as well — and it’s not a stretch to think Ward will have the better season.

8. USC at Stanford
When: September 10
The buzz: New Trojans coach Lincoln Riley’s first Pac-12 contest comes against the team that handed his predecessor his final loss at USC; the school fired Clay Helton the day after the Cardinal beat the Trojans last season. And Stanford is 5-5 in its past 10 vs. USC, which means its physical style has bothered the Trojans. USC hopes the “has bothered” indeed is in the past. The Trojans certainly look a lot better on paper than Stanford this season.

7. Minnesota at Michigan State
When: September 24
The buzz: An interesting cross-division Big Ten game. Both should be 3-0, but the Spartans will be coming off a trip to Washington, which is one of the biggest mystery teams in the Pac-12 — and, truthfully, in the Power 5. Both figure to be run-first teams, but the Spartans have a quarterback advantage. Minnesota has turned back to Kirk Ciarrocca as offensive coordinator. He was the Golden Gophers’ OC from 2017-19 before leaving for Penn State. He lasted one season there, then spent last season as an analyst at West Virginia. His top priority will be revving up Minnesota’s passing attack, which was, to be kind, inept last season.

6. Florida at Tennessee
When: September 24
The buzz: See below.

5. Kentucky at Florida
When: September 10
The buzz: We’re grouping these together. Georgia is going to win the SEC East, but who’s going to finish second is one of the biggest questions in the league. These three teams (plus South Carolina) figure to think they have a chance at a second-place finish. We’ll know by the night of September 24 whether Florida is the top contender, one of the contenders or out of it. We’ll also have some semblance of an idea about UK and UT as contenders, as well. That the Florida-Kentucky game is first gives it a bit more importance. Tennessee has the best quarterback of the three with Hendon Hooker. The Wildcats have the best defense. Florida might – might – have the best offense/defense combination. One positive for Florida (and UK, for that matter) is that the Gators absolutely own Tennessee: Florida has won five in a row and 16 of the past 17 against the Vols, including a 24-point win last season. The Gators also have won 33 of the past 35 in the annual series against Kentucky, but both wins have come in the past four seasons; one of those was the Wildcats’ 20-13 victory last season when the Gators couldn’t score on a first-and-goal from UK’s 5 in the final minute.

4. Penn State at Purdue
When: September 3
The buzz: Truthfully, this is more important for Penn State than for the Boilermakers because more is expected of the Nittany Lions. Opening the season with a conference game is tough. Opening the season with a road conference game? Yikes. And if the Nittany Lions were to open with a conference loss, that’s not good for James Franklin. For sure, Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell is going to test Penn State’s rebuilt secondary.

3. Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
When:
September 24
The buzz: Arkansas snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series with a victory over the Aggies last season, and this is an important early-season pecking order game in the SEC West. A&M again looks to be the second-best team in the division, but a lot depends on the quarterback, whoever it is. Arkansas knows it has a playmaker at the position in K.J. Jefferson, but there are some concerns at wide receiver.

2. Clemson at Wake Forest
When: September 24
The buzz: These two and NC State are expected to be the best teams in the ACC this season – and all are in the Atlantic Division. Clemson gets NCSU the week after this, so the division race could be wrapped up quite early in the season. The Tigers beat the Demon Deacons last season, but Wake still won the division. Wake’s offense should be excellent again, but the defense is a question. It’s vice versa for Clemson.

1. Wisconsin at Ohio State
When: September 24
The buzz: Might this be the first of two meetings this season for these Big Ten powers? These teams very well could meet again in the conference championship game on December 3. This is the fourth of five consecutive home games to open the season for the Buckeyes, whose opener is Notre Dame. The Buckeyes again figure to have one of the top two or three offenses in the nation. QB C.J. Stroud, RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba are among the best players in the nation at their positions. This will be the first road game for the Badgers, who do welcome in Washington State in Game 2 in a big matchup. The Badgers’ pass defense will be tested in that one; their run defense also will get a workout against the Buckeyes.