ESPN lists 10 must-watch non-conference college football games for 2022

Although the 2021 college football season just ended less than a month ago, many people are already ready for the 2022 campaign. Even though the season doesn’t kickoff until the first week in September, which is still eight months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to the upcoming schedule.

That’s exactly what ESPN did – listing 10 must-watch non-conference games in 2022, which features Week 1 matchups such as Notre Dame at Ohio State in Marcus Freeman’s full-season debut, the defending national champion Georgia against Oregon and former Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, and West Virginia at Pitt in the return of the “Backyard Bowl.”

Here’s a look at ESPN’s listing of 10 must-watch non-conference games for the 2022 college football season, put in order by weeks of the season.

WEEK 1

– Notre Dame at Ohio State, Sept. 3: Marcus Freeman, a former Ohio State linebacker, will kickoff his first full season as Notre Dame’s head coach on the road in Columbus in what should be a matchup between a pair of top-10 teams.

– Georgia vs. Oregon (in Atlanta), Sept. 3: The defending national champion Georgia will open its 2022 season with a neutral-site game in Atlanta against Oregon, who’s now led by former Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix could potentially be the Ducks’ starter in that game.

– Utah at Florida, Sept. 3: A loaded Utah team will travel to Gainesville for a season-opening game vs. Florida and new head coach Billy Napier, who replaced Dan Mullen after the Gators’ disappointing 2021 campaign.

– West Virginia at Pitt, Sept. 3: Known as the “Backyard Bowl,” West Virginia and Pitt will meet for the first time since 2011 in the season opener. Pitt is coming off a strong season in 2021, which included an ACC championship and trip to the Peach Bowl.

– Cincinnati at Arkansas, Sept. 3: After making a run to the College Football Playoff last season, Cincinnati will be a new-look team in 2022 after losing several standout players. The Bearcats will square off with Sam Pittman’s Arkansas squad in Fayetteville in Week 1.

– LSU vs. Florida State (in New Orleans), Sept. 4: Brian Kelly’s tenure as LSU’s head coach will begin with a matchup against Florida State in New Orleans on opening weekend. Both the Tigers and Seminoles will be looking to put together better seasons in 2022.

WEEK 2

– Alabama at Texas, Sept. 10: Alabama travels to Austin in Week 2 of the season to take on former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and Texas. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young is back to lead the Crimson Tide, and they’ll match up with a Longhorns’ squad that should be led by Ohio State transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers and running back Bijan Robinson.

WEEK 3

– Oklahoma at Nebraska, Sept. 17: While Nebraska will be looking to improve under head coach Scott Frost, Oklahoma will be led by first-year head man Brent Venables in 2022 – making for an interesting Week 3 game. There’s a good chance that both teams will feature new starting quarterbacks, too.

WEEK 4

– TCU at SMU, Sept. 24: Week 4 includes a Homecoming game for Sonny Dykes, who built up the SMU program and is now entering his first season leading TCU. Dykes went 25-9 over his final three seasons at SMU, so there’s bound to be some emotions for the coach when he makes his return to his old home.

WEEK 12

– Coastal Carolina at Virginia, Nov. 19: Jamey Chadwell has turned Coastal Carolina into a consistent winner, as the Chanticleers have gone 22-3 over the past two seasons – led by standout quarterback Grayson McCall. This matchup will feature a top-tier quarterback battle between McCall and Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong, making for some entertaining football.