There has been no team that lost its first game to reach the Bowl Championship Series title or College Football Playoff.
Keep these things in mind while watching No. 3 Clemson plays No. 5 Georgia in the largest game of the first weekend of the season.
Tigers-Bulldogs is among five matches in the AP Top 25 Saturday. This matchup is the highlight of a long Labor Day weekend full of college football.
Two ranked matchups were created by the Big Ten, which decided to embrace conference games in early seasons like never before. 17 Indiana at No. 18 Indiana and No. 19 Penn State at Number. 12 Wisconsin), plus both division winners from last season (No. 4 Ohio State and Northwestern are opening up.
There are also a plethora of intriguing games with neither team ranked such as Texas Tech vs. Houston, West Virginia at Maryland and Louisville-Mississippi on Monday night.
Powerhouse programs like No. 1 Alabama, Ohio State and No. 2 will have new starting quarterbacks. 1 Alabama, Ohio State, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 9 Notre Dame.
Let the fun begin!
BEST GAME
Georgia vs. Clemson, Charlotte, North Carolina
Sometimes, the game with highest-ranked teams may not be the best. This is not the case.
Kirby Smart, Bulldogs coach, has been attracting top-three talent in recent years to keep pace with Alabama. However, Georgia has not had the same success.
Is this the season to break through, with USC transfer JT Danis now in good health and established as the quarterback?
D.J., Clemson’s new quarterback, was taking the field. Uiagalelei gave everyone a glimpse of his high ceiling with two starts last year replacing Trevor Lawrence.
The 60th meeting between schools, which is the first since 2008, should not be considered a CFP elimination match. However, history shows that the loser is in a tight spot.
HESIMAN WATCH
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Young was able to do some mop-up work last year and threw 22 passes. However, the ex-five-star recruit remains largely an unwrapped present.
No. 14 Miami in Atlanta. Despite the inexperience, Young is already one of the betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel.
A big win against a ranked opponent could quickly validate the hype surrounding a player who is often compared to Kyler Murray, the Arizona Cardinals quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
11-3 — No. 17 Indiana’s record for its 14 Big Ten games. This is the longest stretch of 14 games in program history.
13 — The longest streak of Big Ten games that Wisconsin’s defense has forced at minimum one turnover in consecutive games. Sean Clifford, Penn State’s quarterback, tied for the Big Ten lead last season with nine interceptions.