The 2020 college football season doesn't begin until Aug. 29, when Notre Dame and Navy play the first game of the season in Dublin, Ireland.
That's a long trip, and we still have a long way to go to get through the abyss that is the offseason. That doesn't mean we can't think about all the great games, storylines and players that will dominate college football headlines in 2020.
Sporting News is willing to talk about that any time. Today, we answer 20 questions about the college football season:
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1. What is the best game on opening weekend?
Sept. 5 will be fun. It's either Michigan at Washington — a must-win for Jim Harbaugh on the road in Pac-12 country and the debut for new Huskies coach Jimmy Lake — or USC vs. Alabama at Jerry World, where the Crimson Tide throttled the Trojans 52-6 in 2016. We'll give the edge to the latter because we'll find out who Alabama's next quarterback is. The Clay Helton hot-seat talk could head up again too, depending on the score.
2. What is the best weekend on the schedule?
Don't schedule a wedding on Sept. 12: a thrilling nonconference schedule that includes Penn State at Virginia Tech, Ohio State at Oregon, Texas at LSU, Arkansas at Notre Dame, Tennessee at Oklahoma and Auburn vs. North Carolina in Atlanta. There are also good conference games such as Louisville at Clemson and Kentucky at Florida. Most of those teams should be ranked, and the early-season shuffling based on the results will be significant.
3. What is the best game in September?
It's hard to argue against Georgia at Alabama on Sept. 19, which should be a meeting of top-10 teams, at least. The Bulldogs haven't visited Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2007, a 26-23 overtime win for the Bulldogs — their last win against the Crimson Tide. The stakes will be huge, and the loser won't have much wiggle room in the SEC race. There's more pressure on Georgia and Kirby Smart in this spot. At least, we think there is.
4. What is the best under-the-radar September game?
Cincinnati at Nebraska on Sept. 26. Luke Fickell decided to stay with the Bearcats, who will be a hot pick to represent the Group of 5 in the New Year's Day 6. Nebraska could be 3-0 in that spot if it takes care of business against Purdue in the opener. The Cornhuskers are 3-6 in August/September under Scott Frost. This is a huge game for him.
5. Will Twitter break when Alabama visits Ole Miss?
It might, when Alabama travels to Ole Miss and Nick Saban meets former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. The "rat poison" memes are going to be off the chain. That's not the only good game on the schedule that day, however: Notre Dame plays Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in primetime.
6. Where will Texas be by midseason?
The Longhorns face the same early-season tests as last year, but with an increased degree of difficulty. The trip to LSU on Sept. 12 won't be easy, and the annual matchup with Oklahoma falls on Oct. 10. The Longhorns' season fell apart in 2019 after losing both. They need at least a split before we can say those three magic words again.
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7. Which team has the most to prove in October?
Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been on the fringe of the College Football Playoff in recent years, and they get the meat of their schedule in October with a trip to Michigan (Oct. 3), a bye week and back-to-back home games against Iowa (Oct. 17) and Ohio State (Oct. 24). The latter almost certainly will be a White Out — and a game that sets the tone for the Big Ten race.
8. What will Mike Leach's news conferences be like?
We can't wait for the back-to-back trips to Alabama (Oct. 17) and LSU (Oct. 24). How will Leach provoke Nick Saban and Ed Orgeron? Keep in mind the Bulldogs are 5-35 against those teams since 2000.
9. Can Auburn survive its new schedule?
The Tigers play Georgia earlier than usual on Oct. 10, but the tradeoff is consecutive games against LSU (Nov. 21) and at Alabama (Nov. 28) to end the season. The years where Auburn has to travel to Athens and Tuscaloosa are tough, and that early-season neutral-site game against North Carolina won't be easy, either.
10. Will Bedlam be a battle of unbeatens?
The Oct. 24 spot on the schedule is almost perfect. There's a decent chance both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be undefeated for that game in Norman, and that will be a huge spotlight for the Big 12. That game will be the same day as Ohio State vs. Penn State, too.
11. Can Oregon capitalize on home-field advantage?
The Ducks have the big nonconference showdown with Ohio State on Sept. 12 in Autzen Stadium. Most of the Ducks' big games are at home, including Washington (Oct. 3), Stanford (Oct. 24) and USC (Nov. 7). The Ducks would be pressured to run the table in the Pac-12 if they lose to the Buckeyes, but the schedule is set up so that could happen.
12. Will Vols have a winning record when Alabama visits?
It would be a lot cooler if they did. The Vols play at Oklahoma on Sept. 12 and face Florida on Sept. 26, but if they can avoid slip-ups to Missouri and South Carolina they should be above .500 when the Crimson Tide roll in. Remember, Tennessee hasn't beaten Alabama since 2006. No bigger statement can be made by Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols in 2020.
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13. Can Florida wrest SEC East control from Georgia?
This game — which falls on Halloween — is the opportunity for Florida to seize control of the SEC East from the Bulldogs. It's the biggest game on the schedule that weekend, and precedes a huge first week in November: when the CFP rankings start to heat up.
14. What is bigger game: Bama-LSU or Notre Dame-Clemson?
It's a coin flip between Alabama at LSU — which will carry the usual SEC West stakes in Death Valley and could be yet another "Game of the Century" — and Clemson at Notre Dame, which is as big as it gets in South Bend. The Tigers could easily be ranked No. 1 in this meeting, and the magnitude could be something in the neighborhood of that legendary 1993 No. 1-vs-No. 2 matchup between Notre Dame and Florida State, depending on the Irish's record. We think that might be the bigger game in primetime.
15. Which weekend should you get married?
If you have to get married during football season, do it on Nov. 14. Other than Tennessee-Georgia, there isn't much on the schedule, and it's exactly nine months from Valentine's Day. You're welcome.
16. Is the SEC doing that FCS thing again?
Texas A&M plays at Alabama. Georgia is at Kentucky. LSU is at Auburn. The other eight SEC schools will play Group of 5 or FCS schools, but it's decent cover to have a few heavyweight matchups.
17. Will UCLA-USC be a must-win game?
We addressed Helton's hot seat earlier, but Chip Kelly is 7-17 the last two seasons at UCLA. The Pac-12 needs this game to carry more weight, especially with these teams meeting in the Rose Bowl. The Bruins are 1-4 against USC in their last five meetings, but 3-2 in the Rose Bowl.
18. Which Rivalry Week game interests you more than usual?
Judging by the back-and-forth between Kentucky and Louisville fans on Twitter after Sporting News released its way-too-early top 25, we'll go with the Cardinals and Wildcats. We have Louisville ranked after an 8-5 season under Scott Satterfield, which Kentucky fans didn't like after an 8-5 season under Mark Stoops that saw the Wildcats beat the Cardinals 45-13 in Lexington.
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19. Will the Egg Bowl be more entertaining than the Iron Bowl?
The Egg Bowl will likely have the better news conferences with Leach and Kiffin, and the Thanksgiving time slot is perfect for that tradition between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Better game? C'mon now. It's Alabama-Auburn. The Tigers haven't won in Tuscaloosa since 2010, but could you imagine the fallout if Bo Nix drops the Crimson Tide for a second straight season?
20. What game will define Rivalry Week?
Ohio State-Michigan. The Buckeyes throttled the Wolverines the last two seasons, and it's a good bet the Big Ten East will be on the line when these two teams meet on Nov. 28. There are two things worth knowing here: Harbaugh could drop to 0-6 against Ohio State, and the Buckeyes can win nine straight against the Wolverines. It's worth knowing Michigan hasn't won at Ohio Stadium since 2000. when Drew Henson was quarterback. If the Wolverines run into another buzzsaw — which is possible with Justin Fields at quarterback — then what will Michigan do in response?
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February 12, 2020 at 11:40PM
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College football 2020: Answering 20 questions about this season's schedule - Sporting News
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