By : Sabri Haidar
(Photo/Sabri Haidar-The Mojo Network)
The countdown to the 2025 college football season is almost over, and the nonconference slate is absolutely loaded. From heavyweight showdowns that could shape the playoff picture to rivalry games dripping with history, the first few months of the season are stacked with drama.
Here’s a week-by-week look at the biggest nonconference matchups you’ll want circled on the calendar.
Week 1: The Wild Opening Weekend
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Texas at Ohio State
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Alabama at Florida State
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LSU at Clemson
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Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City, Mo.)
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Syracuse vs. Tennessee (Atlanta)
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Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina (Atlanta)
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Georgia Tech at Colorado
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Utah at UCLA
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Notre Dame at Miami (Fla.)
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TCU at North Carolina
Opening weekend feels more like a playoff preview than September football. The headliner: Texas traveling to Columbus to face Ohio State in a rematch of last year’s CFP semifinal. Expect both teams to start the season in the top five, maybe even in the top three.
Another game dripping with storylines is Alabama vs. Florida State, fueled by offseason chatter from Seminoles QB Tommy Castellanos. LSU and Clemson are also squaring off in the “Death Valley” debate, and it’s a clash that could easily be a top-10 matchup.
Elsewhere, Colorado enters the post-Shedeur Sanders/Travis Hunter era against Georgia Tech and QB Haynes King — a potential sleeper in the Heisman race.
The weekend also features three neutral-site showcases: Nebraska-Cincinnati at Arrowhead, Syracuse-Tennessee in Atlanta on Saturday, and Virginia Tech-South Carolina in the same stadium Sunday. The primetime fireworks continue into Monday night as Bill Belichick — yes, that Bill Belichick — makes his college coaching debut when North Carolina hosts TCU.
Week 2: Blueblood Battles and In-State Clashes
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Michigan at Oklahoma
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Arizona State at Mississippi State
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Iowa at Iowa State
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Baylor at SMU
Michigan vs. Oklahoma is as good as it gets early in the season — two bluebloods with new quarterbacks in a Big Ten vs. SEC spotlight game.
Mississippi State’s meeting with Arizona State offers a test for the Sun Devils to prove they’re still a contender after last year’s CFP run. And in the Lone Star State, Baylor vs. SMU renews a long-dormant series with plenty of local recruiting bragging rights at stake. Don’t forget the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Iowa City, where Iowa-Iowa State is never short on emotion.
Week 3: National Brands and Backyard Fights
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Texas A&M at Notre Dame
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Wisconsin at Alabama
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Pitt at West Virginia
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Florida Atlantic at FIU
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Duke at Tulane
This week brings brand power. Texas A&M-Notre Dame and Wisconsin-Alabama headline the slate, while Pitt and West Virginia lock horns in the always-heated Backyard Brawl.
For Group of Five flavor, keep an eye on FAU vs. FIU, a rivalry born out of South Florida pride. And Duke QB Darian Mensah gets an early-season homecoming when he returns to Tulane to face the program he just transferred from.
Week 4: Rivalries Rescued by Realignment
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Washington at Washington State
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Oregon State at Oregon
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SMU at TCU
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Florida at Miami
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James Madison at Liberty
Thanks to scheduling gymnastics, we’re still getting the Apple Cup and the Civil War, even after the Pac-12’s shakeup. Both games carry more juice than ever given the new conference alignments.
Down south, Florida-Miami reignites an old Sunshine State grudge match, and SMU-TCU remains a fierce Dallas-area battle. James Madison vs. Liberty could end up being a New Year’s Six decider — both are preseason favorites in their conferences and could crash the CFP as the top Group of Five team.
Week 6: Boise State Crashes South Bend
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Boise State at Notre Dame
The Broncos nearly shocked Oregon last fall, and now they head to South Bend to challenge a Notre Dame team with playoff expectations. Both squads were in the CFP last year, so this could carry big stakes come November.
Week 8: USC vs. Notre Dame — Again
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USC at Notre Dame
Few rivalries match the history of USC-Notre Dame, and the 2025 edition might be a playoff elimination game. The Trojans enter the matchup fresh off a gauntlet stretch against Michigan, while the Irish face NC State the week before. One slip here, and either team’s playoff road gets a whole lot tougher.
Week 14: Rivalry Week Fireworks
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Georgia at Georgia Tech
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Clemson at South Carolina
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Florida State at Florida
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Kentucky at Louisville
Thanksgiving weekend once again delivers a rivalry buffet. Georgia and Georgia Tech gave us an eight-overtime thriller in 2024, and both could arrive in Atlanta already ticketed for their conference title games.
Clemson-South Carolina is another CFP-impact battle, as both squads enter 2025 thinking playoff. The Florida-Florida State game needs no hype, and Louisville-Kentucky is never short on intensity.
Final Word
The 2025 season’s nonconference slate has everything: playoff rematches, bitter rivalries, and neutral-site showcases built for TV. Every week offers at least one game with postseason implications — and plenty with bragging rights on the line.