Just wanted to get your opinion's on this. I love the great rivalries in college football, but I always find the big non-conference match-ups to be the most exciting during the season. So I chose these 5 games which I believe are the biggest non-conference games for the 2008 season.
If you think neither of these are the best choices, than post which other game you look forward to seeing this year.

Personally I think it is hard to top the Trojans-Buckeyes game. However WVU-Auburn could be quite intense, and there is just something about that ASU-Georgia game which could be an awful lot of fun.

Can't wait for the season to start.

Sorry, I have never made a topic with a poll so I have obviously done something wrong. Anyway these were the games I had chosen.

Alabama Vs. Clemson

Illinois Vs. Missouri

USC Vs. Ohio State

Arizona State Vs. Georgia

West Virginia Vs. Auburn

There are some pretty awesome conference games this year: Ohio State-Michigan (usually good), Texas-Oklahoma (usually good), Florida-Georgia, Missouri-Kansas, Georgia-LSU, Texas-Texas Tech, Florida-LSU, Ohio State-Wisconsin, etc.

Still, though, I think you are definitely missing two games from your list:

Kansas Vs South Florida
BYU Vs Utah

Just sticking to the non-conference game I want to see the most, though, I have to go with Ohio State-USC. I do wish both teams could lose that game. In second is BYU vs Utah, and 3rd WVU vs Auburn.

I'd still put those games down below many of the in-conference games though - I think Florida-Georgia is the game of the year.

I'll be at Mizzou/Illinois . Go Tigers!

Has anyone seen Notre Dame's schedule this season??? PATHETIC!!!! They could actually be fairly bad, and they should still win 8 games!!!

San Diego State
Michigan
@ Michigan State
Purdue
Stanford
@ UNC
@ Washington
Pittsburgh
@ Boston College
@ Navy
Syracuse
@ USC


Other than North Carolina and Southern Cal, the Irish should have a good chance and could be legitimate favorites in the other games...SDSU I don't know much about, but I don't expect much from UM (transition year) or Michigan State, Purdue, or Pitt (down years.) Stanford and Washington should be better than last year, but that ain't saying much. Boston College will be weak. Navy is coming off their first win over ND in 40+ years, can they do it again? And Syracuse should again be among the worst in the country.

Can you imagine the Irish at 10-1 going into the USC game? Good lord the media and the pollsters would be frothing over themselves. I think the Irish will be improved, but it will be more a product of a weak schedule rather than on-field talent.

Michigan State should beat Notre Dame, especially in East Lansing. Pitt should also beat them, even though the game is in south bend. If ND is 10-1 going into the USC game I will shave my balls & try to get Charlie Weiss to sign them.

THe Utah BYU game is very compelling. Both teams have an outside chance of being undefeated going into this game. BYU, as from what I have read, has top 15 talent. utah is not far behind. I fully expect Utah to go in to the big house opening weekend & lay the wood to UM. For the bettors, the early line is Utah +7, I will be all over that one opening weekend. Fresno State is another interesting non bcs team. I believe Wisky comes to the vally 2nd week of the season. If they win that they will put themselves right in the middle of the bcs discussion. For my money, Pat Hill is one of the best coaches in the country.

Do not overlook the Illini. Very scary game for Mizzou. Their 6pt favorites right now. The game is going to be played in St Louis right? I think that hurts Mizzou a little bit. They would be better off playing a game like that, against a top 20 team early in the season on campus imo.

Not really its a great atmosphere and while it would be to their advantage to play in Columbia its always at the Dome here in Saint Louis. IMO this could easily be Mizzou's toughest game of the year but I don't see them losing.......their loaded this year and have a ton of Senior leadership. I have a feeling my Tigers are going to put a beating to a lot of good teams this year.

Tougher than UB?!?! I kid, I kid. I don't think theres anyway that Illinois is going to be a tougher game than Kansas though. Rivalry games are always tough, and with both teams looking to be good again this year, you'll have your hands full.

I do not care how good the atmosphere is, you always want these important games on campus. I know it is the 1st game of the season but this IMHO is the defining game & could be the tone setter for Mizzou's whole season. Win this game, & they are instantly going to be in the National Title conversation. Lose this & their National Title hopes will be all but gone.

Kansas will not be as good as last year. I expect them to lose 3 or 4 games this year. I do like their qb though. It is their defense that would have me concerned if I was a KU fan.

BTW, from all that I have read so far, it does sound like Mizzou is loaded & in for a very special season.

I vote for Notre Dame @ Boston College. Let's Go Irish!

Yeah although Illinois has become a rivalry game as well, although with nowhere near the animosity in the KU/MU game. IMO Illinois is a better team and I think its a more dangerous game being the first game of the year. But I'll also be going to Aarowhead for KU/MU. And we'll also be beating the crap out of your longhorns this year

Yeah.... I aint arguing against that one, I don't have high hopes for the horns this year, and it'll be the week after we lose to OU.

Why aren't you coming down to Austin for the game?

Ah, do not cut your longhorns short this year. Mizzou still has to prove it on the field. The thing is, with teams like Mizzou, they have never been in this position before(being the top dog), you never know how a team like that is going to handle the pressure. I fully expect them to lose a game or two that nobody expects & I am not so sure that Texas will not be the favorite against them especially when the game is being played down in Austin.

I will say this. I do not think either team will beat Oklahoma this year(I do not think Mizzou plays them until of course the conference championship).

One other thing, watchout for Texas Tech this year. Athlon says that this might be their best chance to win their side this year & make the conference championship.

I, too, think Mizzou will lose one or two this season - but will ultimately make the big 12 championship game, because they're way ahead of the rest of the North. Kansas lost so much, I'm not convinced they'll be good again this year.



I don't think Mizzou will play them in the conference championship.



I didn't realize the big mags were going to jump on the bandwagon,

I wrote up a Big 12 preview for Rich a while ago, and I've got Mizzou vs Tech in the Big 12 championship game. I think Tech could be scary, finally having a defense to match their offense.

I agree that the Kansas-South Florida game is an intriguing match-up, and BYU-Utah could have both teams scoring 100 points. I just chose the other games because they seemed to stand out more on a national excitement level. There are other Non-conference games that are interesting that I did not mention: Virginia-USC, Oklahoma-Washington, California-Michigan State, Miami-Florida, UCLA-Tennessee & Colorado-West Virginia.
I just did not see them as stronger games than the one I mentioned. Still I look forward to seeing how all of these games turn out.

Illinois/Mizzou (I should have a prime seat for that one: on the sidelines!).

Mr. Chase Daniel, I'd like you to meet Mr. Martez Wilson (Freak 2) and Mr. Will Davis.

Oh yeah, with Mizzou's off-field issues/injuries, will they have enough players to suit up? (I keed, I keed!)

It's gonna be fun!

Here ya Go



And one for you Mike.

Seeing all the big media outlets pick Tech is making me lose faith, especially since one of their players said this in an article I read this morning:

"It's hard to forget about it like Coach Leach is telling us to do," senior receiver Eric Morris said. "We've finally got exposure and I think this is our year. I have to block all the outside stuff from my mind, though, and just focus on our first game against Eastern Washington."

This has the makings of a disaster.

Tough call. I see so many games each week via ESPN Game Plan, the Fox Sports package, and the various network games that it's tough to predict which ones I'll be most interested in watching. There is a certain team I'll be interested in seeing this year, but I'll get more into that when the season preview comes out.

BTW, if anyone else wants to submit something for it (got your write-up, BlueFire), email it to me (RRich@GoBills.net) and I'll incorporate it into our preview.

While Mizzou came to a soft landing in the Cotton Bowl, Illinois found the Rose Bowl Game a little thorny. I guess that what happens when you overachieve.

Either way, I really think that will be one of the games of the year when we look back on it. Illinois-Mizzou was one of the best last year and Illinois played in a few good ones after that: Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State.

Agreed, and its a fun rivalry/game.........not a lot of animosity. I live in Ofallon,Mo now as does my cousin and her husband.....both Illinois grads. We'll be going to the game together and it should be a blast. Now if they went to Kansas on the other hand, I would never be caught dead with them in public.

True, you wouldn't be caught in public with them...... because they'd be dead after Mangino ate them! I kid!

I just want to see Notre Dame lose, A LOT.