Believe it or not, the 2024 college football season is quickly approaching.
I hope I didn’t just jinx it, but it’s true. In just under four months, the new season will have begun, and countless storylines will begin to unfold.
Of course, the biggest change for the coming season will be the expanded playoff field – something that has been long overdue.
With the field now set at 12-teams (soon to be 14), the dreams just got a whole lot more realistic for several programs across the land.
One of the many things that makes college football so special is the extreme urgency placed on each and every single game.
While that urgency loosens up justtt a tad with the expanded playoffs, the importance and do-or-die nature of every game will still exist.
Of course, we know some games are bigger than others.
Speaking of which, I can hear you asking out loud: “What is the single biggest game of the entire 2024 season??”
Well, luckily Brad Crawford of 247Sports has crunched all the matchups, and in his opinion, the Georgia @ Texas showdown on October 19th is the biggest and most meaningful game of the entire season.
“Texas beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl a couple years ago and that’s been the only meeting between the two bluebloods since the 1980s. That’s going to change over the next several years given the likelihood two annual frontrunners duke it out often as fellow conference brethren,” Crawford wrote of the highly-anticipated matchup.
“These are two recruiting powerhouses who could be two of the SEC’s several playoff participants in 2024. The good news for the Longhorns is Georgia is likely one of only three nationally-ranked opponents that Sarkisian and his crew will have to crunch pads with later this year,” Crawford concluded.
While there are several other impactful matchups circled on the 2024 season calendar, Georgia-Texas seems like a logical choice for the top pick.
You have all the storylines you could ever hope for in a prime matchup.
Two national title contenders. Two phenomenal programs/brands. Two spectacular head coaches. Two teams loaded with talent and led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks who will both end up being very high NFL draft picks come next April.
On top of it all, for the first time ever, it’s an SEC matchup! (That’s still going to take a little getting used to.)
Both teams are in similar situations entering the new season.
While the Bulldogs have been much more successful in the grand scheme of things, the Longhorns are hungry to bust through and finally get over the hump in the Steve Sarkisian era.
Texas is coming off a nightmare playoff loss to the Washington Huskies in last year’s semi-finals. While the Bulldogs hopes for a three-peat came crashing down after their shocking loss to rival Alabama in the SEC championship game.
Needless to say, a whole lot is going to be riding on that October 19th matchup in Austin.
Rounding out Crawford’s list of the top ten biggest games of the 2024 season are the following…
#2. Michigan @ Ohio State: November 30th
#3. Ohio State @ Oregon: October 12th
#4. Georgia @ Alabama: September 28th
#5. Georgia @ Ole Miss: November 9th
#6. Oregon @ Michigan: November 2nd
#7. Ole Miss @ LSU: October 12th
#8. Clemson @ Florida State: October 5th
#9. Alabama @ LSU: November 9th
#10. Texas @ Michigan: September 7th
What are your thoughts on Crawford’s ranking of the biggest games of the 2024 season?
Do you agree that Georgia @ Texas is the biggest and most meaningful matchup?
If not, what is?
In the bigger picture, who do you think will win the national title this coming season???