Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes At TCU Among Appealing Matchups To Kick Off 2023 College Football Season

Believe it or not, the 2023 college football season is only a little more than three months away from kicking off. There are a handful of games the final Saturday in August before the curtain rises in earnest Labor Day weekend. Whether it is an appealing non-conference matchup, a coaching debut or a new starting quarterback leading a national power, some of the games are sure to be circled.

Starting with the 96^th playing of a rivalry that returns to the Emerald Isle, here is a look at some of the potentially more appealing games.

Saturday, August 26

Navy vs Notre Dame (Dublin)

The Midshipmen and Fighting Irish were scheduled to meet at Aviva Stadium three years ago, but the game was one of several casualties during the virus-disrupted 2020 season. The cancellation put an end to a streak in which the teams met every year since 1927. This will be the third meeting (also 1996 and 2012) between the teams in Ireland and this encounter marks the head coaching debut of Navy’s Brian Newberry, who served as Ken Niamatalolo’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 81-13-1.

Thursday, August 31

Florida at Utah

The teams opened the season in Gainesville last year with the Gators pulling out a 29-26 victory in Billy Napier’s debut at UF. The return engagement will feature Graham Mertz or Jack Miller III, both former Big Ten residents, starting at quarterback for Florida, which won only five more games after the Utes left town last year. Quarterback Cam Rising and a handful of other key players return for Utah, which boasts back-to-back Pac-12 championships. Kyle Whittingham opens his 19^th season as head coach in Salt Lake City.

Nebraska at Minnesota

Matt Rhule’s debut on the Cornhuskers’ sideline will be in a Big Ten West Division matchup. The 48-year-old coach took over a program that has endured six straight bowl-less seasons and has had losing marks in seven of the last eight years. Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims is in at quarterback, and Casey Thompson is out. For P.J. Fleck, the Tanner Morgan era at quarterback is over. Is Athan Kaliakmanis, who started five games last season when Morgan was hurt, ready to take over on a full-time basis?

Friday, September 1

Miami (Ohio) at Miami

Well, why not? The two similarly named schools have met three times, twice during World War II and in 1987. Guess which Miami went to a bowl game last year? It was not the team in Coral Gables. Indeed, such non-conference games used to be a gimme for the ‘Canes, who have not had many gimmes in recent years. Mario Cristobal’s first season at the helm of his alma mater resulted in a 5-7 record, including an embarrassing home loss to Middle Tennessee and four ACC defeats by at least 24 points. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is, once again, the undisputed leader of the team and must stay healthy after being banged up a year ago.

Saturday, September 2

Colorado at TCU

Deion Sanders’ first game at the helm of the Buffaloes will be played all of 25 miles from the site of one of his former NFL homes, Texas Stadium, where he played five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He will need every minute of preseason camp to pull together a roster that will look much different than the one that took the field for Colorado’s spring game. Turnover is something Sonny Dykes has had to deal with since his team went to the CFP championship. A school-record eight Horned Frogs were selected in the NFL draft, including quarterback Max Duggan, the 2022 Heisman runner-up. Ironically, Chandler Morris could be the starting quarterback against Colorado once again. He was TCU’s starter before sustaining a knee injury in the season opener in Boulder last year, opening the door for Duggan.

South Carolina at North Carolina (Charlotte)

After totaling 45 touchdowns a year ago and finishing 10^th in Heisman voting, UNC quarterback Drake Maye heads into 2023 as one of the nation’s top players. The first order of business for the Tar Heels is to get off to a winning start after ending 2022 on a four-game losing streak. Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks built plenty of momentum a year ago in going 8-5, the program’s second-most wins since 2013. North Carolina leads the all-time series 35-20-4.

Virginia at Tennessee

Hendon Hooker is with the Detroit Lions and Brennan Armstrong transferred to North Carolina State. Hence, Josh Heupel and Tony Elliott will have new starting quarterbacks. Strong-armed Joe Milton is no stranger to Vols fans, who are eager to see how he — and new offensive coordinator Joey Halzle – leads a unit that churned out 526 yards per game to lead the nation last year. Monmouth transfer and Virginia native Tony Muskett is among Virginia QBs who will continue to compete in fall camp. This will be the first meeting between the schools since the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 1991 when the Vols prevailed, 23-22.

Tennessee State at Notre Dame

This game marks a pair of firsts for the Irish: playing an FCS opponent and an HBCU. Eddie George will be in his third season as coach of the Tigers, who went 4-7 last year. George played against Notre Dame once during his career at Ohio State, a 45-26 Buckeyes win in Columbus during the running back’s Heisman season of 1995. George ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.

Boise State at Washington

Michael Penix’s Heisman campaign is underway in Seattle. The quarterback and the Huskies head into 2023 feeling they have some unfinished business after going 11-2 last season and No. 8 in the AP poll. Both losses were in conference play, which prevented them from competing in the Pac-12 title game. Boise State represents quite a season-opening test. The Broncos, who ran the table in the Mountain West on their way to a 10-win season a year ago, enter 2023 with a streak of 25 consecutive winning seasons, the longest active streak in the FBS. The Huskies have won three of five meetings, including the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl.

Ohio State at Indiana

Will it be Kyle McCord or Devin Brown leading the Buckeyes’ offense under first-year coordinator, and former OSU receiver, Brian Hartline? The former was C.J. Stroud’s primary backup the past two seasons while the latter, who missed the spring game after fracturing a pinkie on his right throwing hand, is in his second year with Ohio State.

West Virginia at Penn State

This will be the first meeting between the former Eastern independents since 1992. The schools first met in 1904 and played every year from 1947 to 1992. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series 48-9-2, including 31-3-0 in Happy Valley. The back end of a home-and-home agreement will be in Morgantown in 2024. With Sean Clifford in Green Bay, will it be Drew Allar or Beau Pribula at quarterback for James Franklin?

Old Dominion at Virginia Tech

ODU relaunched its football program in 2009 and elevated to the FBS in 2014. Four years later, the Monarchs posted the biggest win in program history when they defeated the No. 10/13 Hokies in Norfolk, 49-35. Old Dominion knocked off visiting Tech again last season, scoring a touchdown in the final minute for a 20-17 victory. The two wins are the Monarchs’ only victories over an FBS opponent. Can they make it three straight over the Hokies at S.B. Ballard Stadium?

UTSA at Houston

The Cougars’ first game as a member of the Big 12 will be quite a test. The Roadrunners, who will be playing their first game as an American Athletic Conference member after winning the Conference USA title last season, return quarterback Frank Harris, a seventh-year player who was sixth nationally in total offense in 2022. Houston, which spent the previous decade as a member of the American, is coming off an 8-4 season. With Clayton Tune’s career at UH having come to an end, Texas Tech transfer Donovan Smith is likely to be Dana Holgorsen’s new starting QB.

Sunday, September 3

LSU at Florida State (Orlando)

The headliner on Labor Day weekend is a likely top-10 matchup at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, which is where the Seminoles concluded the 2022 season with a thrilling Cheez-It Bowl win over Oklahoma. Brian Kelly’s coaching debut with the Tigers last season was against the Seminoles in New Orleans, a 24-23 FSU victory secured by a blocked extra point. Both teams finished 10-4 and both teams return a ton of talent, including at quarterback with LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Florida State’s Jordan Travis.

Monday, September 4

Clemson at Duke

The Cade Klubnik era begins in earnest at Clemson and Dabo Swinney has yet another offensive coordinator in Garrett Riley, the third in as many seasons following Brandon Streeter (fired) and Tony Elliott (head coach Virginia). Riley, the 33-year-old brother of USC coach Lincoln Riley, was the OC at TCU in 2022. Duke went 9-4 last season in Mike Elko’s debut in Durham.