The must-watch games of 2019 college football season

This should be a fun get-together in Orlando, and also will be a nice early test for the Gators. Miami has won five of the last six meetings between these two Sunshine State giants, but they have not squared off since 2013. It will also be Manny Diaz's much-anticipated debut as Hurricanes coach.

It's quite possible Boise State is the better team heading into this opener. It's a redemption season for the Seminoles, and they don't get any breaks with this neutral-site opener  well, as neutral as it was going to be for the Broncos. This will be the first meeting between these schools and will be even more fun when Florida State visits the blue turf at Boise in 2020.

This could be the best matchup of the first full weekend of college football. Both teams have plenty to prove in 2019. While neither program is at the caliber it was when the two squared off in January 2011 with the national championship on the line, it should still be a good one and a great way to see what's potentially in store for both squads.

We're assuming it's Jalen Hurts' first game under center with the Sooners, so there were will be many watching. Oklahoma is the better team, though Houston won the last meeting in 2016 at home. The Cougars have a talented quarterback of their own in the versatile D'Eriq King and a new coach in former West Virginia boss Dana Holgorsen.  

These two last played in 1962, so to say it's been a long time coming would be accurate. This also is a game to seriously keep an eye on. Loaded with its triple-option attack and talented quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr., the Cadets have won 21 games over the past seasons. Michigan is obviously hoping for a strong 2019 campaign, but this shouts upset alert.

It sure was fun last season when Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers visited Jimbo Fisher's Aggies to renew that old ACC acquaintance. Texas A&M's rally fell short at College Station. Now the Aggies have to go into Death Valley to take on the reigning national champions, which obviously won't be easy but should be entertaining.

This caps what should be a great day of non-conference college football matchups and offers a good look at two of the top teams in the nation in 2019. It should be a great atmosphere for the Tigers' visit to Austin. Texas and LSU have not met since Roy Williams led the Longhorns to a 35-20 victory in the Cotton Bowl to conclude the 2002 season.

It's the 100th installment of this Pennsylvania rivalry. Unfortunately, it will be the last time the Panthers and Nittany Lions go at it for the foreseeable future. When the rivalry will start up again after this matchup, nobody really knows. Though Pitt leads the all-time series, Penn State has won two straight and five of the last seven meetings.

Central Florida fans have been waiting for this game for a while. Credit Stanford for taking on a home-and-home series with arguably the best Group of Five team at the moment. That was not the case when the Cardinal won 31-7 at home in the front end of this agreement in 2015, but they should be in for a major challenge at Orlando.  

Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes have won the last four meetings with the Cyclones. But Iowa State is poised to be a serious factor in the Big 12 this season, and Matt Campbell is a coach who seems ready for a breakout. The game is in Ames this year, where host Iowa State has not won in this series since 2011. We've got a feeling that will change in 2019. 

Clemson is 25-1 in regular-season games over the past two seasons. That lone blemish came at Syracuse, 27-24, in 2017. It's going to be loud, and the hype should be pretty high. It will also be interesting to see how Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence handles the pressure of playing in a serious road environment.

Get accustomed to seeing the Fighting Irish on this list. The memory of the Bulldogs celebrating a 20-19 victory at South Bend two years ago is probably still fresh in the collective minds of Notre Dame fans. This should give us a good idea of what to expect from the Irish this season, especially in terms of national standing.

Even with new coach Ryan Day, the Buckeyes are again eyeing a berth in the College Football Playoff. This could be their first real test. Nebraska finished strong in Scott Frost's first season coaching his alma mater and should be in the mix for a Big Ten West Division title. If things play out for both teams, this could be a great early conference matchup.

A potentially terrific day of college football kicks off with what might be the game of the season. The Red River Showdown is one of the great rivalries in all of sports, with the famed Cotton Bowl stadium and Texas State Fair providing a special setting. It's tough to beat this one. The fact Texas and Oklahoma are again poised for great seasons also adds to the experience.

The Tigers have probably had this one circled on their calendar for some time now. Florida rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off LSU last season and also won the most recent meeting at Baton Rouge in 2016. Those are the Gators' only two victories in the last six matchups with their talented SEC rivals.

Sticking with the SEC, this is obviously special with Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher going at it. And it is part of a great day of big-time college football. Excitement should be plenty, but the reality is the Crimson Tide have won six straight over the Aggies, whose last victory in the series came in 2012 — with some guy named Johnny Manziel at quarterback.

All the preseason signs point to the Ducks and Huskies as the front-runners to win the Pac-12 North Division. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is definitely somebody to keep an eye on when his team invades Seattle. Though Washington is the reigning league champion, Oregon has won 13 of 15 in this series.

Better catch this one before it is over. After this season, it's uncertain when the Irish and Wolverines will pad up to face each other. Traditionally a rivalry game played early in the season, we should have a good feel for both squads come this late October get-together. Notre Dame has won the last two meetings but dropped the last four at Ann Arbor.

It is no longer officially called the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," but that does not mean the fun has stopped. It's one of the great pregame atmospheres in the country, and, oh yeah, the football should be pretty good too. Both schools have lofty expectations in 2019, and Florida is looking to avoid a third consecutive loss in the series.

A potential preview of the Pac-12 title game would also be a rematch of last year's contest that was won by the Huskies, 10-3, in a defensive struggle. Washington has won four straight in this series and six of seven, but the Utes return a whole lot of talent that seems poised to seriously challenge for the league championship.

There was a time, actually quite a few times, when this matchup usually determined the conference championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl. Once again, however, a simple bowl berth might be on the line. Both the Trojans and Bruins failed to make bowl appearances in 2018 and are poised to not allow that to happen again.

How much really needs to be said about this one. Michigan has generated plenty of preseason hype, but it likely will not matter if it can't beat the Buckeyes, who are expected to shine again. That, of course, is a tall order and one the Wolverines were last able to pull off in 2011. Regardless where these rivals are come time for this matchup, it will still be a huge mental hurdle for Michigan to clear.

As we enter the 2019 season, expectations are higher for Alabama than for Auburn. It's quite possible Tigers coach Gus Malzahn's job will really be on the line at this point. Then again, it's the Iron Bowl, one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. This year Auburn is hosting. The Crimson Tide have won four of the last five editions, but that defeat came on the plains in 2017. 

Is it possible the Irish will be undefeated and in the hunt for another spot in the College Football Playoff when they conclude the regular season the Bay Area? That would be something, because the Cardinal could also have something significant to play for should things fall their way. Notre Dame snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with a 38-17 home win last season but has lost five in a row at Stanford.

Records rarely matter when Army and Navy get together. It's a game any college football fan should tune into because it's all about effort, honor and respect. None of those will be on the short side when this storied rivalry rounds out the regular-season schedule. Army has won the last three meetings with the Midshipmen — by a combined 12 points.