No 6. LSU vs. Mississippi State, Sept. 26, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS
After having arguably college football’s greatest season ever, the defending national champions open their season against Mississippi State on Saturday. The Tigers find themselves in a very different position this year after losing Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Joe Burrow and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, among others, to the NFL. While redshirt junior quarterback Myles Brennan mentioned in several interviews this summer that he spent the past two seasons learning and implementing techniques from Burrow, it should be interesting to see if those lessons translate to the field. After hiring first-year head coach Mike Leach from Washington State this summer, the Bulldogs will look for their first win in Death Valley since 2014.
No. 22 Army vs. No. 14 Cincinnati, Sept. 26, 2:30 p.m, CT, ESPN
After last week’s bye, the Black Knights bring their best-in-the-nation rushing attack to Cincinnati on Saturday for their first matchup with the Bearcats since 2004. The Bearcats and the Black Knights were not originally scheduled to play this season, but each side agreed on a game after scheduling issues disrupted both teams. If the Bearcats defense can hold the Army triple option, they may become this year’s dark horse and sneak into the College Football Playoff.
Florida State vs. No. 12 Miami, Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m., ABC
Is Miami back? It’s rivalry week, and the Florida State Seminoles and College GameDay are heading down to Miami to face the No. 12 Hurricanes. Miami, riding a two-game win streak after beating the University of Alabama-Birmingham and No. 24 Louisville, will look to capitalize on the absence of Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell, who announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Seminoles are coming in with loss against Georgia Tech.
No. 4 Georgia vs. Arkansas, Sept. 26, 3 p.m. CT, SEC Network
The Bulldogs and the Razorbacks do not normally meet every season. Since the SEC moved to a conference-only schedule, this will be the first meeting between the two since 2014. After losing three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm to the NFL Draft, Georgia thought they found the answer to their problem in the form of transfer quarterback Jamie Newman. But with Newman opting out of the 2020 season, head coach Kirby Smart has his hands tied and has yet to name a starting quarterback. The Razorbacks could be a challenge after nabbing former Georgia assistant Sam Pittman as their new head coach and former Missouri head coach Barry Odom as their new defensive coordinator during the offseason.
Middle Tennessee vs. UTSA, Sept. 25, 7 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network
The Roadrunners were originally supposed to face the Memphis Tigers this weekend but weren't able to play due to COVID-19 outbreak in the Tigers program. Shortly after, UTSA announced that they would instead face Conference USA foe Middle Tennessee at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Roadrunners enter the game on a two-game winning streak, with a win in double overtime against Texas State and a 24-10 victory over Stephen F. Austin. The Raiders are coming off a two-game losing streak with losses against Army and Troy.
