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Biggest nonconference games of 2024 College Football Playoff race
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- Biggest nonconference games of 2024 College Football Playoff race
With the new 12-team College Football Playoff, some matchups could mean a little more when determining which teams earn a chance at the national championship.
In Week 1 alone there with multiple games with potential CFP implications , with No. 1 Georgia walloping No. 14 Clemson 34-3, No. 23 USC edging out No. 13 LSU 27-20 and No. 7 Notre Dame beating No. 20 Texas A&M 23-13 on the road.
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The 12-team playoff allows more room for error, and key wins could serve important come selection time. Nonconference wins or losses could also be the reason a team clinches a CFP berth, or doesn't, going forward.
Here are the most important nonconference games with CFP implications in 2024:
Biggest nonconference games in expanded CFP era 2024
Here are the top nonconference games with CFP implications this season:
No. 3 Texas at No. 9 Michigan (Week 2)
Likely the biggest nonconference game of the season, Texas travels to Ann Arbor to face the reigning national champions. The battle between top 10 ranked teams and CFP finalists last season would be a huge resume booster to either program.
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Last season, the Longhorns earned their best win of the year in the nonconference slate, defeating eventual CFP participant Alabama 34-24 on the road. Another road win would also put Texas in a great spot heading into SEC play.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines, who had a college football-high 13 players drafted last April, could prove they're still here to stay with a win over the Longhorns.
The matchup also marks the second time both blue-blood programs have faced, with the first being the 2005 Rose Bowl, which Texas won 38-37.
Boise State at No. 6 Oregon (Week 2)
Boise State is already one of the top contenders for the non-Power Four spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, and a road win over the Ducks would instantly propel the Broncos' contention for the CFP.
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Meanwhile, Oregon is coming off a lackluster 24-14 win over Idaho . A loss would certainly result in a hit to the Ducks' resume, especially after the middling effort in Week 1. A loss wouldn't end Oregon's chances by any means, but this result could be a swing for either program in 2024.
No. 23 NC State at No. 12 Tennessee (Week 2)
NC State did not look impressive in Week 1, trailing FCS program Western Carolina 21-17 entering the fourth quarter until pulling away with a 38-21 win. But a win against the Vols could give the Wolfpack a cushion when it comes to analyzing its strength of schedule in a suddenly wide-open ACC.
Tennessee, of course, boasts a tough SEC schedule, but adding ranked wins at any moment certainly boosts the resume.
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Appalachian State at No. 22 Clemson (Week 2)
Clemson was walloped by No. 1 Georgia 34-3 in Week 1 and faces perhaps one of the best non-Power Four teams in the country in Appalachian State. A loss could end the Tigers' CFP hopes in a weak ACC conference, while the Mountaineers could earn a big win over a Power Four program that would definitely bolster their resume.
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No. 23 USC 27, No. 13 LSU 20 (Week 1)
This game could be a sneaky tiebreaker between two teams that could vie for one of the last spots in the 12-team.
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USC showed its offense is good enough under new quarterback Miller Moss , who's replacing 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams . There's also a chance USC's defense is improved, which would play a massive factor in the Trojans' potential playoff chances.
LSU Garrett Nussmeier threw for more than 300 yards in the loss to USC, but do the Tigers as a whole have the firepower they need without Daniels and first-round pick receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. ?
No. 7 Notre Dame 23 at No. 20 Texas A&M 13 (Week 1)
Potentially Notre Dame's toughest game of the season was its Week 1 road game against Texas A&M, especially given Florida State — who the Fighting Irish play in Week 11 — have started the season 0-2 with losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College .
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Notre Dame has a relatively schedule the rest of the way, which should put it in the driver's seat for a CFP berth. Getting through a tough road environment in Week 1 could set the tone for Notre Dame's path to the 12-team playoff. The Fighting Irish could easily be 11-0 heading into a Week 12 matchup with USC, whose range of outcomes is still yet to be determined.
No. 19 Miami at Florida (Week 1)
Florida plays one of the toughest schedules in college football and projects to be among the weaker teams in the SEC this season, but this selection is more about Miami's dominance over a fellow power conference team in Week 1.
Miami plays in the ACC with what seems to include limited competition this season. Washington State transfer Cam Ward looked like a potential Heisman Trophy candidate against the Gators. Ward was buying time, slinging sidearm passes and making ridiculous throws, finishing 26 of 35 passing for 385 yards with three touchdowns to an interception against Florida, also rushing for 33 yards on three carries.
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UNLV at No. 19 Kansas (Week 3)
Could UNLV be a potential CFP team as the non-Power Four participant? UNLV made easy work of Houston in Week 1, defeating the Cougars 27-7. In Week 3, the Rebels take on fellow Big 12 opponent Kansas, who is a CFP contender of its own if it can win the Big 12.
If UNLV could give the Jayhawks a scare, it could certainly be among the teams with the best chance at clinching a 12-team playoff berth outside of the Power Four.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biggest nonconference games for 12-team playoff race in 2024
