This year's top non-conference tilts.

[WolverineSteve]

Which are your must see games?


Kevin Sumlin leads Texas A&M into a game at SMU for the first time since 1992. (AP)
12. Texas A&M at SMU on Sept. 15: Truthfully, this isn't that exciting a contest. But there isn't that much to choose from and this is a chance for a Conference USA team to beat an SEC team – and at home, no less. This also will be just the second meeting between these two former long-time rivals since the Southwest Conference disbanded after the 1995 season. It also will be the first time Aggies play at SMU since 1992, and the Mustangs haven't beaten A&M since 1984.
11. North Carolina State vs. Tennessee in Atlanta on Aug. 31: This is Game 1 in the two-game Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic (the other is Auburn-Clemson on Sept. 1). Again, this isn't exactly a scintillating matchup, but it's an important game for the Vols, especially coach Derek Dooley, who desperately needs a winning season. Both should have good offenses, but each seems likely to be questionable on defense.
10. Arizona State at Missouri on Sept. 15: A rare Pac-12/SEC regular-season matchup – made, of course, when Mizzou still was in the Big 12. How good is Arizona State going to be under new coach Todd Graham, especially offensively? Is QB James Franklin going to be ready to go for Mizzou after suffering a shoulder injury in spring practice? Again, this is not necessarily a prime matchup. But there is some intrigue.
9. Miami at Kansas State on Sept. 8: These teams met last season at Miami, with K-State making a goal-line stand to escape with the win. This should be a good gauge as to the relative strength of each team. K-State was one of the nation's biggest surprises last season, but the Wildcats will sneak up on no one this season. K-State opens with FCS foe Missouri State, so this will be the first real game of the season for the Wildcats.
8. Nebraska at UCLA on Sept. 8: We're at the eighth-best nonconference game, yet we're still not really into a must-see game. UCLA opens at Rice the week before this, and surely the Bruins will be strong enough under new coach Jim Mora to beat the Owls. Thus, the visit from the Huskers should tell a lot about the direction of Mora's new team. Conversely, it seems hard to believe Nebraska would be a Big Ten contender if it loses to the Bruins.
[Draft: West Virginia's Bruce Irvin is on the brink of the NFL after burglary, jail time]
7. Washington at LSU on Sept. 8: Another Pac-12/SEC matchup. LSU will have opened the week before against North Texas, so a visit from the Huskies should let us know whether the Tigers will have an improved passing attack this season. Then again, the last time anyone saw Washington on the field, the Huskies were getting strafed by Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Washington's new defensive coordinator is Justin Wilcox, who was hired off Tennessee's staff. LSU rolled up 383 yards and 28 points against Tennessee last season – and that Vols team may have had better defensive talent than Wilcox will have this season.
6. California at Ohio State on Sept. 15: Ohio State has eight home games this season, and this will be the third of four consecutive home contests to open the season for the Buckeyes. On paper, Cal is the toughest nonconference opponent for Urban Meyer's Buckeyes. The Golden Bears' offense could pose some problems. Cal's defense looks as if it will have some issues; can QB Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes' offense take advantage?
5. Auburn vs. Clemson on Sept. 1 in Atlanta: This is the second game in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic weekend. Both fan bases are expecting big seasons – but both fan bases could be left wanting. Both teams have new defensive coordinators after neither team played all that well on that side of the ball last season. Auburn also has a new offensive coordinator, and Scot Loeffler will be charged with spicing up the passing attack. These schools have played 47 times, but this will be just the fourth meeting since 1971; Clemson hasn't beaten Auburn since 1951, a string of 14 games.

Brian Kelly and Notre Dame renew their rivalry with Miami in Chicago. (AP)
4. Miami vs. Notre Dame in Chicago on Oct. 6: These teams met annually from 1971-90 (except for 1986), but they have met just once since, when they played in the Sun Bowl after the 2010 season. Each was in the top 10 when they met every season from 1987-90. While neither is at that level right now, this should be an interesting matchup. The game will be at Soldier Field, with a night-time kickoff. Both were spotty on offense last season, thanks to inconsistent quarterback play. Will that change this season?
3. Notre Dame at Oklahoma on Oct. 27: This will be just the 10th meeting in history between these programs. Notre Dame leads the series 8-1, and the Irish's win in Norman in 1957 snapped OU's NCAA-record 47-game winning streak. The teams have met once since 1968, with the Irish winning in 1999. The Irish's last visit to Norman came in 1966, when they won 38-0 as the nation's top-ranked team. This will be the Irish's only true road game from Sept. 16 to Nov. 10.
2. Boise State at Michigan State on Aug. 31: This will be just Boise State's second game against a Big Ten foe; the first came in 1997, when the Broncos fell at Wisconsin in just their second season of Division I-A football (now called FBS); it was the second game of Houston Nutt's only season at Boise. This looks to be a rebuilding season for Boise, which returns just six fulltime starters from last season, including only one on defense. Michigan State, on the other hand, has eight starters back on what should be one of the best defenses in the nation; the Spartans' offense has some questions, though.
1. Alabama vs. Michigan in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 1: Two of the most storied programs in history get together for just the fourth time; the three previous meetings were in bowls, with the most recent coming in the Orange Bowl following the 1999 season. Alabama is a lock to open the season in the top 10, and the Wolverines should be in there, too. This will be the third time in five years that Alabama has opened the season in a neutral-site game; the other two were in Atlanta.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--col ... yOPywcvrYF

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Michigan is not a top 10 team. They are weak up front on both sides of the ball, which is where games are won. Bama is going to tear through them like a wet paper towel.

[WolverineSteve]

Time will tell. I think Hoke is Holtz-ing when describing his lines. He takes particular pride in the d-line, so I expect them to be tightened up by the fall. There are a lot of position switches and graduated guys to replace there. The o-line's main issue will be depth. The center position is a huge question mark. Nobody pounds the ground game against bama, so I'm not expecting that to happen. Hopefully Denard gets loose on some scrambles (designed runs will probably be ineffective) and the wr's can get loose once or twice and make it a ballgame.

It appears that State catches Boise in a down year. One thing this list shows is the lack of quality non-con games.

[buckeye_in_sc]

yeah but from an O Line perspective UM lost that asshate Molk...so you got a new center going against a NFL defense...plus the game is in Big D so I expect a pro Bama crowd (sup Marcus Allen)...

I hope those bitches from Asquared get slapped silly...Roll Mother Fucking tide

[M Club]

michigan travels well enough as is. i'm sure they'll rep hard for an actual ooc opponent. otherwise, hard to compete against a team that gets to show up with one more recruiting class than you have, so i'm definitely not expecting a win. if i were betting on the game i'd give only a cursory glace toward the line before putting my money on bamer. then again, michigan, unlike ohio state, can actually compete with sec teams, so maybe we'll steal one.

[M2]

The writer of this article doesn't know his ass from a hole in the wall...

The Golden Bears' offense could pose some problems. Cal's defense looks as if it will have some issues; can QB Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes' offense take advantage?

Cal has had the #1 defense in the PAC the last two years in a row... and the defense this year will be even better.

With Maynard at qb... Cal has the worst qb in the PAC if not the entire country. If Cal plays any of their backup qb's they would have an extremely dangerous offense. The problem is Tedford is going to stick with Maynard as he can never admit he's made a mistake.

The only good thing is that Maynard might be suspended for the first 4 games of the year due to academics and that would make Cal a very scary team. If Maynard gets his grades up... you might as well start the game with OSU and give them a 21 point lead at kickoff.





This writer has zero knowledge of the PAC 12.

[Carson]

Clemson hasn't beaten Auburn since 1951, a string of 14 games.

Great research there.

Sin,

Last Fucking Year

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

It appears that State catches Boise in a down year.

I guess, though it seems like Boise's had the same team for the last 10 years. Those fuckers don't skip a beat. MSU has their own questions marks, but pretty much just on the offensive side of the ball. New QB and all new WRs.

[Van]

This looks to be a rebuilding season for Boise, which returns just six fulltime starters from last season, including only one on defense.

And no Kellen Moore so, yeah, I guess.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Did that really warrant a hysterical laughing emoticon?

[Van]

Your "I guess" in grudging recognition of a team clearly in the midst of a total overhaul kinda cracked me up, yeah. Dude, it's okay to admit that you're catching them when they're not Boise St and likely will skip quite a few beats.

Sometimes it's just good to be lucky, and this is one of those times for MSU.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Oh, bwahahahahhaha. funny.

Don't think they'll be as good as most Boise teams, but there won't be a huge drop off either. Top 20 caliber. The guys waiting in the wings are always ready to go when it's their turn. Petersen knows what he is doing out there.

[Van]

They have one starter returning on defense. One. They only have five starters returning on offense, and of them is not the guy who's been running the offense for the last seventy-two seasons.

Yeah, that equates to a huge drop-off. Because they still play in such a Mickey Mouse conference that huge drop likely won't hurt them that much, but they sure as hell won't be marching into Sparty Stadium with anything resembling the Boise St teams we've gotten used to seeing over the past half-decade or so.

Fortunately for them, Kirk Cousins finally ran out of eligibility, otherwise this would look to be a rout.

[Terry in Crapchester]

One thing this list shows is the lack of quality non-con games.

You say it like that's a new development.

[M2]

Magoo, is Michigan State returning the favor and playing at game in Boise ?


By the way, do you remember the last time Cal played Michigan State on the road in East Lansing ?


If I recall correctly... Michigan State was ranked #15 in the country at the time



Cal 46 Michigan State 22





Good times... Cal had just too much size and speed for Michigan State.

[Van]

That wasn't a remotely meaningful game. Cal went 7-5 that year and didn't play in a Bowl game. Michigan St went 4-8, including 2-6 in conference play.

So, while Cal apparently had "too much size and speed" for the 9th place team in the Big 10, they didn't have enough to handle Air Force and Washington St at home or Oregon St, Arizona and USC on the road.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Magoo, is Michigan State returning the favor and playing at game in Boise ?

Yeah, it's a 2-for-1 deal. MSU goes to Boise in like 2022.

By the way, do you remember the last time Cal played Michigan State on the road in East Lansing ?

No. Alcohol is a wonderful thing.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Time will tell. I think Hoke is Holtz-ing when describing his lines.

I don't think your coach is sandbagging. You guys scrapped your spring game in favor of a scrimmage because of how thin you are up front.

[M Club]

we haven't had a spring game in like 100 years. not sure exactly how many scholarship players are on the roster now, but they've only been running out about 70 since dickrod took over. and the couple i've been to while carr was coaching only approximated a game in that they wore helmets and there was a football. lines are thin, though.

[WolverineSteve]

Most schools have a scrimmage instead of a game per se. Been that way since the scholarship number dropped, and UM doesn't carry 40 walk ons. the freshman class is still in high school too. My guess is Hoke will have the d-line in great shape, I'm not as convinced about the big uglies.

[The Seer]

Wouldn't mind seeing a repeat of the '88 visit the huskers made to the Rose Bowl...down something like 38-0 until that fag donahue decided to show "sportsmanship"....and took their foot off the gas....

[Felix]

Sometimes it's just good to be lucky, and this is one of those times for MSU.

or not....BSU will be a good team despite the loss of so many starters

[Cornhusker]

Wouldn't mind seeing a repeat of the '88 visit the huskers made to the Rose Bowl...down something like 38-0 until that fag donahue decided to show "sportsmanship"....and took their foot off the gas....

Or more like the '84 game in Pasadena.
http://www.huskermax.com/games/1984/03ucla.html