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Published Aug 26, 2020
The biggest games and dates on the 2020 college football schedule
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Justin Rowland  •  CatsIllustrated
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@RowlandRIVALS

The Big Ten, Pac-12, and some others have tapped out in the run up to the 2020 college football schedule but that still leaves plenty of games to be played with the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 on track to play.

With schedules revamped and reworked, here's a look at some of the best and most notable games on tap for the 2020 season.

September 3rd

Central Arkansas at UAB

South Alabama at Southern Miss

It's tough to believe it's almost here. Tomorrow the college football season kicks off with a pair of Conference USA games featuring UAB and Southern Miss, two of the leading contenders in that league's West division.

September 5th

SMU at Texas State

Two days later the SMU Mustangs, one of the Group of Five stories of the last college football season, kicks off their season on the road.

September 12th

Clemson at Wake Forest

Duke at Notre Dame

Syracuse at UNC

The first week of play for ACC and Big 12 schools does not bring many high profile matchups but Clemson, Notre Dame and UNC are all in the preseason top 25 and should be favorites in their contests. Notre Dame is a member of a conference for at least a year.

September 19

Miami at Louisville

Virginia at Virginia Tech

BYU at Army

The second week's slate of games isn't much better than the first but there's some intrigue. Miami and Louisville could make noise in the ACC, as could UVA and Virginia Tech, in-state rivals who could contend in their half of the league. Those teams typically play the last week of the season.

September 26

Alabama at Missouri

Mississippi State at LSU

Florida at Ole Miss

Kentucky at Auburn

Texas at Texas Tech

West Virginia at Oklahoma State

Iowa State at TCU

Tennessee at South Carolina

Florida State at Miami

Louisville at Pitt

Kentucky-Auburn could very well be the biggest game to that point in the college football season and kicks off SEC play for both squads. The post-Joe Burrow era begins at LSU with Mike Leach taking MSU into Tiger Stadium. Alabama begins its quest for a national championship with Eliah Drinkwitz's first Missouri team. FSU-Miami is always emotional even if it's not the marquee matchup it used to be.

October 1st

Memphis at SMU

Two of the AAC's top contenders take the field in Dallas on Thursday night.

October 3rd

Virginia at Clemson

Texas A&M at Alabama

Auburn at Georgia

Oklahoma at Iowa State

TCU at Texas

Ole Miss at Kentucky

The games between A&M and Alabama and then Auburn and Georgia highlight what should be the best week of games to that point on the calendar. Iowa State has been a giant killer in the past and playing at home could present a problem for Oklahoma.

October 10th

Miami at Clemson

Tennessee at Georgia

Texas at Oklahoma

Florida at Texas A&M

Virginia Tech at North Carolina

Mississippi State at Kentucky

It would be a surprise if Clemson or Georgia lost but their games will draw plenty of viewers. The biggest games of the day feature the Big 12's biggest rivalry, Texas-Oklahoma, in a game between the two teams with the most hype in that league. Florida's trip to Texas A&M will have big ramifications in the Southeastern Conference between two of that league's top teams on paper.

October 16th

UCF at Memphis

Houston at BYU

These are two of the biggest games of the season that do not feature major conference programs, and they take place on Friday night to set the stage for a huge weekend of games.

October 17th

Georgia at Alabama

LSU at Florida

Louisville at Notre Dame

Texas A&M at Mississippi State

North Carolina at Florida State

Kentucky at Tennessee

Pitt at Miami

Georgia and Alabama are familiar foes from previous SEC championship games but don't play often during the regular season. Both programs will be vying for a national championship. LSU and Florida are annual rivals and contenders on each of their respective sides of the conference. Louisville's trip to South Bend is one of the Cardinals' biggest games in years.

October 24th

Alabama at Tennessee

Georgia at Kentucky

Oklahoma at TCU

Notre Dame at Pitt

Auburn at Ole Miss

Baylor at Texas

Iowa State at Oklahoma State

NC State at North Carolina

Cincinnati at SMU

Virginia at Miami

While there isn't one game that's the magnitude of the top contests from the previous two weeks there are rivalry matchups and sneaky good contests in spades. Baylor can prove its staying power as a legitimate college football force in Austin. Kentucky and Tennessee have chances to make huge statements.

October 31st

LSU at Auburn

Texas at Oklahoma State

North Carolina at Virginia

Memphis at Cincinnati

Virginia Tech at Louisville

TCU at Baylor

Navy at SMU

LSU and Auburn often play hard fought lower scoring games and this is always one of the West's most hard hitting affairs.

November 7th

Clemson at Notre Dame

Florida at Georgia

Oklahoma State at Kansas State

Baylor at Iowa State

Louisville at Virginia

This is a week with huge national implications. Clemson and Notre Dame is the undisputed game of the year in the ACC and Florida-Georgia is annually the most anticipated game of the year in the SEC East.

November 14th

Alabama at LSU

Auburn at Mississippi State

Texas A&M at Tennessee

Memphis at Navy

Miami at Virginia Tech

There may not be a week on the schedule with a game that is more obviously the top matchup of the week than this one. Alabama-LSU has become one of the biggest games in college football and after last year it will be the game everyone is watching.

November 21st

Clemson at Florida State

Kentucky at Alabama

Mississippi State at Georgia

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma

Tennessee at Auburn

Cincinnati at UCF

Kansas State at Iowa State

Virginia Tech at Pitt

Bedlam may be the biggest game of the season for the Sooners if they are undefeated at this point in the season and both teams begin in the preseason Top-15.

November 27th

Notre Dame at North Carolina

This Friday evening trip to Chapel Hill may be one of the biggest stumbling blocks of the year for Brian Kelly's Irish squad.

November 28th

Pitt at Clemson

Auburn at Alabama

LSU at Texas A&M

Kentucky at Florida

Iowa State at Texas

Mississippi State at Ole Miss

Kansas State at Baylor

This is one of the best weeks of the year for SEC games and particularly in the West.

December 5th

Clemson at Virginia Tech

Baylor at Oklahoma

Florida at Tennessee

Texas A&M at Auburn

Texas at Kansas State

Oklahoma State at TCU

North Carolina at Miami

College football's regular season will go out with a bang, not a whimper, as Clemson has to survive Blacksburg and other competitive conference matchups touch all three Power Five leagues still competing. Baylor loses a lot but played Oklahoma tough twice last year.

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