College football is officially back and we’ll waste no time in getting to games that could impact the trajectory of the entire season.

Title contenders—including three-quarters of last season’s College Football Playoff—will have their mettle tested right off the bat.

Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma

Saturday, Sept. 1 | 11 AM CT on FOX

I know, I know, Florida Atlantic doesn’t have much of an actual shot to win this game in Norman. However, if you like points, this is the game for you.

This matchup is filled with elite athletes that will inevitably be running up and down the field—primarily on offense.

Oklahoma’s high-powered offense will be led by Kyler Murray, who can do just as much damage with his legs as his arm. With Rodney Anderson alongside him, this edition of the Sooner offense should have no issues scoring on the Owls.

The exciting question is will the Owls be able to score at will, as well? Lane Kiffin’s group is not one to be afraid of a challenge. This offense is good. I mean really good. It’ll be led by running back Devin Singletary who racked up 1,920 yards and 32 scores a year ago. 

The Owls’ defense should dominate Conference USA this year, so it’ll be a lot of fun to see if/how they can matchup with a dominant Power Five opponent. 

I obviously don’t expect FAU to win the game outright, but I could see them hanging around for a while. Oklahoma does have UCLA the following week and an early kickoff to combat.

Washington vs. Auburn

Saturday, Sept. 1 | 3:30 PM ET on ABC

This game should mean a lot for the Pac-12. For one, the conference had an abysmal bowl season last year as it went 1-8. Also, the last time the Huskies played an SEC opponent, Alabama hammered Washington in the 2016 College Football Playoff. 

Revenge should be on their mind.

This Washington squad has the potential to win the Pac-12 and get to the College Football Playoff once again, so this game will sure as hell mean a lot in that aspect, as well.

The game will be played in the same stadium Auburn was embarrassed by Central Florida in back on New Year’s Day. The Tigers are probably third on the totem pole in the SEC this year, meaning this game obviously carries huge implications for them as well. 

Nonetheless, the winner will shoot themselves right into the CFP conversation.

Michigan @ Notre Dame

Saturday, Sept. 1 | 7:30 PM ET on NBC

The time is now for Brian Kelly and Jim Harbaugh to show what they’re really capable of. 

Yes, Kelly led the 2012 Fighting Irish to the National Championship Game. We all know how that ended. Are the Irish ever going to actually contend for a championship after they are seemingly always overrated heading into the new season?

As for Harbaugh, he’s entering his fourth season in Ann Arbor after his first three have been quite honestly underwhelming. He’s been smacked around by Michigan State and Ohio State and hasn’t finished in the top two of the Big Ten yet. 

The time to do something is now for Harbaugh, especially with stud transfer Shea Patterson behind center. This season and this game is where he can start to build his legacy.

Under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend for a week one battle is where it all starts for two teams with outside shots at getting to the CFP, trying to prove something. 

Virginia Tech @ Florida State

Monday, Sept. 3 | 7 PM ET on ESPN

I absolutely love the chances of this Hokie team making a run in the ACC and it starts right away in week one. Justin Fuente and Josh Jackson will storm into Tallahassee to open up ACC play immediately and it’s better to play Florida State early rather than late with Willie Taggart coming in.

I would imagine the key to this game would be defense. Florida State will have a solid quarterback in either Deondre Francois or James Blackman and the Hokies obviously have Josh Jackson, so the winner of the game will likely be the team that has the better play from its defense. 

And that’s what makes this matchup more interesting: Florida State will be revamping its defense with the “press quarters” scheme in which the main goal is to constrict openings and play with aggression, particularly in the secondary. On the other hand, Virginia Tech is dealing with many departures on the defensive side of the ball.

It’ll be the only game on Labor Day, so it will be the center of national attention. Just like the other big games early on, the winner of this one will shoot into contention for a spot in the playoff while the loser will most likely be left in the dust.

Georgia @ South Carolina

Saturday, Sept. 8 | 3:30 PM ET on CBS

If Will Muschamp wants to make a name for himself as a head coach, this is the game to do it. I can assure you the atmosphere in Columbia, S.C., will be off the charts for this showdown in week two.

The Gamecocks went a sneaky 9-4 last year, but quite honestly, it should’ve been even better as they lost to Kentucky and Texas A&M, struggling with close games. The offense surely should improve as it was one of the worst in the SEC last year. The defense should continue to be solid after it led the conference in takeaways a year ago.

As for Georgia, it’s playoff or bust once again after it reeled in arguably the best recruiting class in history. Jake Fromm will likely start ahead of Justin Fields in this one as Jake Bentley and Deebo Samuel headline the Gamecock offense. 

I really like South Carolina’s chances of knocking off the mighty Bulldogs here, but it’ll start with the offense. The Gamecocks need to produce points more consistently because their defense will only be able to do so much, especially in this game. Nevertheless, South Carolina’s shot at playing in the SEC Championship will likely come down to this result.

Clemson @ Texas A&M

Saturday, Sept. 8 | 6 PM CT on ESPN

Clemson coming to College Station under the lights at Kyle Field in Jimbo Fisher’s first year? Sign me up.

I don’t care if the Aggies are enormous underdogs. When a big game is taking place at Kyle Field, the home team always has a shot.

On paper, Clemson is the best team in the land, but it’s also important to note that Fisher is familiar with this former ACC foe. In the eight games Fisher and Dabo Swinney met, they split them right down the middle at four wins apiece. 

There’s no denying A&M doesn’t have the playmakers to match up with the Tigers, which is why whether it’s Kellen Mond or Nick Starkel, the quarterback play will have to be flawless. We already know how cool, calm and collected Kelly Bryant is, so the likelihood of him faltering has to be slim.

That’s why I really think this game comes down to whether the Aggies can move the ball against this stellar Tiger defense which ranked fourth in the nation last season.