Top 10 Best Non-Conference College Football Games for 2024

Early-season College Football is the best because that’s when we see the non-conference games. Sure, most seem totally mismatched, but a few are must-see television, and today, we will take a look at the top ten games of the non-conference college football season.

10. N.C State vs Tennessee (Charlotte)

Both of these teams were exciting to watch and had many new faces on both sides of the ball. Both teams are talented and could win 8 or 9 games this season. I expect a high-scoring, close game down to the wire. Check out the Grueling Truth for all of your College Football news in 2024!

9. Miami(Fla) at Florida

Narrative. Narrative. Narrative. Both fan bases have been eagerly anticipating this game for months now, and finally, the time has almost come; it will be on a Saturday afternoon at 3:30, with temperatures likely in the high 80s and 80% humidity. Billy Napier stands on one sideline – 11-14 and needs early goodwill – while Mario Cristobal excels at everything except coaching games on Saturdays. The Gators face one of thier most demanding schedules ever, so even an early loss would put an already desperate program further behind. Miami is dedicated to winning an ACC Championship this year, should they lose in Gainesville (where they’re probably favored). Whichever team loses, the heat will be turned up immediately on the losing coach. This game would rank higher, but neither program has been relevant for a while.

8. Georgia vs Clemson (Atlanta)

At first glance, this game might deserve higher consideration on this list. After all, these teams have met numerous times over the last decade. Yet their programs are moving in different directions — evidenced by Georgia being close to two touchdown favorites when betting odds come out early for this matchup. Georgia boasts one of the nation’s strongest rosters, while Dabo Swinney continues his refusal to utilize the transfer portal. Furthermore, two top defenses will meet up at UGA-Clemson for their inaugural showdown and may offer early clues as to how the rest of season unfolds.

7. Penn State at West Virginia

West Virginia University and Penn State don’t share much love between themselves; WVU will seek revenge after being beaten at Penn State last season, and Garrett Greene may actually outshout Drew Allar as a quarterback. Both the Mountaineers and Nittany Lions will have their eyes set on continuing the momentum from last season; West Virginia hopes its defensive portal additions have taken hold, while Penn State needs new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to quickly imprint his mark onto their offense

6. LSU vs USC (Vegas)

This game should be called Doubt in the Desert — as in the loser is going to feel concerned about the direction of their program despite neither Brian Kelly nor Lincoln Riley being in any danger of getting fired. LSU has lost two straight marquee openers against Florida State, and even though the Tigers didn’t do enough in the portal to address concerns in the secondary and defensive line, they still have a much better overall roster than USC. Riley reportedly wanted out of this game, which only heightened the game’s intrigue. These two programs produced the last two Heisman Trophy winners, and both fired their defensive coordinators from the previous season.

5. Colorado at Nebraska

Deion Sanders made his home debut for Colorado against Nebraska and beat them 36-14 last season, with Shedeur Sanders leading them with nearly 400 total yards and three touchdowns— Under Matt Rhule’s leadership, Nebraska will likely benefit from starting their 2024 campaign off against UTEP while Colorado takes on North Dakota State in Week 1. This was a close game for almost three quarters last season and I look for this to be close for most of the game also. Don’t be surprised if Nebraka wins this game.

4. Florida State at Notre Dame

These two rivals played an overtime thriller three years ago, so this year’s matchup between potential Top 15 teams should make for excellent viewing. Notre Dame boasts one of its easiest schedules since 2010, yet they appear twice on this list – an ode to independent life! Depending on the outcome in Week 1 against USF Aggies, Notre Dame may need to win this game to boost its College Football Playoff hopes, while Florida State are co-favourites to claim another ACC crown this year, so this contest does not carry as much significance; DJ Uiagalelei famously had one Of his greatest games four years ago in a loss against Notre Dame; could he lead them back out and lead them back against them in an upset victory?

3. Alabama at Wisconsin

Kalen DeBoer will face his first challenge as head coach of Alabama with an away trip to Camp Randell to face the Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin had an underwhelming Year 1 under Luke Fickell but has made strides at fixing an offence broken for most of 2023. With Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, and Oklahoma — all preseason Top 25 opponents on Alabama’s schedule — this game must be won if Alabama hopes to reach the College Football Playoff this year.

2. Notre Dame at Texas A@M

This game promises to be exciting: Marcus Freeman enters Year 3 as Notre Dame head coach with an array of top 10 talent – led by Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard and an impressive defense – as Mike Elko returns to College State after leading Duke for three seasons. The Aggies quietly had an outstanding offseason; their roster was much more robust than many initially believed after Mike Elko handled portal departures efficiently. ESPN College GameDay will be present and cover it live for Week 1.

1. Texas at Michigan

Michigan will put their nation-leading winning streak under fire against Texas, which is looking to make a statement on the road, which would be massive for the Longhorns. Last season’s victory against Alabama propelled Steve Sarkisian’s squad to an outright Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance; winning against an undermanned Michigan squad could make history again as they join the SEC for Year 1. New head coach Sherrone Moore took over last season as interim coach, having defeated Penn State and Ohio State on significant matchups during his interim tenure and winning as the head man should further validate Moore’s promotion to head coach status!