The Five Best Games of the College Football Weekend: Week 1

College Football Season: The Best Time of the Year.

Boat Shoes and Burritos is introducing a new weekly series where we’ll be informing you what the 5 best games of the upcoming College Football weekend will be. So instead of aimlessly searching for a decent game to watch on Saturday, let us be your guide, so you can use your time wisely every College Football weekend. After all, you don’t want to get stuck watching Toledo play Bowling Green, or worse, a Big Ten in conference game. Anyway, here are the 5 best college football watches this weekend:

 

North Carolina at South Carolina (Thursday 6 p.m. on ESPN)

No way I’m missing the “Battle of the Carolinas” tonight. We’re talking about Jadeveon Clowney, possibly the most physically talented Defensive End of all time, unleashing on the Tar Heels at 6 p.m. this evening in Columbia, South Carolina. Also, this game is a great early indicator for how the SEC East and ACC Coastal divisions will play out this year. With the Tar Heels being a sexy pick to win the Coastal Division, tonight we’ll be able to see how QB Bryn Renner in company stack up against an elite defense. Additionally, with South Carolina being a sleeper National Championship pick, tonight is the perfect gauge for how ready the Gamecocks are for this high-stakes season. What a perfect way to kickoff the 2013 College Football year.

Mississippi State vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State (Saturday 3:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN2)

Seemingly everyone but Boat Shoes and Burritos picked the Cowboys to win the Big 12. As a result, I can’t wait to watch this game to see either just how right or how wrong I was. Regardless, I want to see this OK State offense in action. If you're really the best offense in the country, then prove it against an SEC defense (albeit a bad SEC defense, with a terrible secondary). Additionally, I want to see if the Cowboys defensive unit has made any improvements from last year. What better test than Tyler Russell and the Bulldogs attack? Also, it’s always fun to watch a game where an SEC team not named Kentucky or Missouri has a chance to lose.

Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta (Saturday 5:30 p.m. on ESPN)

 Is Nick Saban ready to play Beamer Ball? Is anyone ever really ready for Beamer Ball? Well, Bama did beat Virgina Tech 34 to 24 in 2009 and as good as that Alabama team was, this one is probably better. Of course, I’m a little higher on the Hokies this year than most. I actually believe their pass rush will cause some trouble for this young Alabama Offensive Line. If that happens, this could be a tighter game than expected. Regardless, it’s two of the most rabid fan bases in the South meeting up in Atlanta. It’s AJ McCarron throwing to his new weapon Amari Cooper. It’s Logan Thomas looking for redemption. It’s watching possibly the greatest College Football dynasty of all time playing on a Saturday night. It’s College Football baby.

Georgia at Clemson (Saturday 8:00 p.m. on ABC)

This game is a no-brainer. We’re talking about two preseason top 10 ranked teams facing off on the first Saturday of the College Football season. This is a battle between two big time college football powers where the stakes are high. If Clemson wins Saturday, they’ll have a clear path to the National Championship game. Georgia, on the other hand, could lose this game and still sneak into the National Championship assuming they run the table and beat Bama in the SEC Title game. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done. Expect a high scoring affair, where the stars of the show will be Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. However, the critical matchup will be the elite Georgia passing attack against Clemson’s young corners. Whatever happens, this is going to be a Saturday night to remember.

LSU vs TCU at Jerry World (Cowboys Stadium)  (Saturday 9:00 p.m. on ESPN)

Let’s call this the “Battle of the Underrated Teams.” It’s understandable why the Tigers aren’t ranked in the preseason Top 10. They ended their 2012 season losing the Chick-Fil-A Bowl to Clemson. Additionally, they lost several key defensive players to the NFL. However, no one reloads defenses like “The Hat” and Zack Mettenberger should only get better. I see this Saturday night game against the Horned Frogs as a great showcase for the Tigers, giving them the opportunity prove their doubters wrong. Additionally, TCU is a popular sleeper team this year and we’ll get to see if their offense is efficient enough to compete in the Big 12.

Honorable Mention: Boise State at Washington (Saturday 10:00 p.m. on Fox Sports 1)

 These teams always play each other hard. Plus, College Football is more interesting when the Broncos are good.