The NCAAF non-conference games we’ll miss most in 2020

The Big Ten and Pac-12 have already shifted to conference-only schedules for the 2020 college football season. By the end of July, the other three Power Five conferences — the ACC, Big 12, and SEC — could announce similar decisions.

Should that happen, we’re set to lose out on some premier non-conference matchups.

Here are the five non-conference games we will miss the most.

Sept. 5: Michigan at Washington

Both Michigan and Washington are working with new talent under center. The Wolverines’ Shea Patterson graduated and will be replaced by either Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton. Jacob Sirmon is the top candidate to step in for former Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason, who left early for the NFL.

Washington also promoted defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake to head coach, after Chris Petersen stepped down last season. Jim Harbaugh will enter his sixth year as Michigan head coach and hired Bob Shoop as head of safeties and Brian Jean-Mary as linebackers coach to replace Chris Partridge (co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss) and Anthony Campanile (now with the Miami Dolphins).

Defense should be a strong suit for Washington and Michigan, while both offenses will go through an adjustment period.

The matchup in Seattle would have been a difficult first test for both teams. Now Michigan and Washington must get their feet wet against someone from their conferences.

Oct. 3: Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame

While we won’t be watching the Badgers and Fighting Irish square off at Lambeau Field on Oct. 3, we do get to look forward to this matchup in 2021.

Back in 2017, Wisconsin and Notre Dame announced a two-year, neutral-site football series, with one game in 2020 at the Green Bay Packers’ legendary stadium, and the second in 2021 at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

The 2020 storylines would have included Wisconsin searching for its answer to the departure of running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2019. As for the Fighting Irish, their quarterback, Ian Book, stayed in college for his final year of eligibility but lost his top three receivers — Chase Claypool, Chris Finke, and Cole Kmet — to the NFL.  

Wisconsin and Notre Dame last met in 1964. We’ll have to wait one more season to witness the reunion.

Sept. 5: USC vs. Alabama

This showdown would have dominated headlines in Week 1.

In one corner is Alabama, which is hungry to return to the College Football Playoff, after the school missed out on a spot for the first time since the inception of the four-team tournament in 2014.

In the other corner is USC, a projected AP Top 25 team, led by Kedon Slovis, who emerged last season as the starting quarterback, as a true freshman.

This game would have granted us the first glimpse at life without Tua Tagovailoa in Tuscaloosa. Mac Jones is expected to start for Alabama over five-star recruit Bryce Young, while running back Najee Harris chose to come back as a senior to help bolster the Crimson Tide’s backfield.

USC also gained some new personnel this offseason, as head coach Clay Helton hired six new assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Todd Orlando.

The Trojans also scheduled a Nov. 28 matchup against Notre Dame that has been cancelled. We’ll miss that game, too, but not as much as the season kickoff against Alabama.

Sept. 12: Texas at LSU

These two iconic programs have met 18 times, dating back to 1896. Last year, LSU defeated Texas, 45-38, to bring the Tigers' record in the series to 8-9-1.

The Tigers lost quarterback Joe Burrow, plus 13 other players to the NFL draft. Texas will bring back senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger and nine starters on defense. Fourth-year head coach Tom Herman also hired seven new assistant coaches.  

This game is technically still on the table, since the Big 12 and SEC have not scrapped out-of-conference games yet. LSU came out on top in last year’s back-and-forth battle in Austin, but the Longhorns should hold the upper hand this time, even though the game is in Baton Rouge.

If we’re lucky, we will still get to see this one.

Sept. 12: Ohio State at Oregon

The Buckeyes finished the 2019 season ranked No. 3, after they fell to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Oregon, which barely missed out on the CFP, landed fifth in the final AP poll.

This matchup would have pitted Heisman contender Justin Fields and Ohio State’s high-powered offense against an Oregon defense that ranked ninth in the country in points per game (16.5).

Losing this game will not only hurt for fans, but it will dampen Ohio State’s strength of schedule. The Buckeyes’ conference draw is fairly weak, with Rutgers, Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, and Michigan all at home. Their toughest test is Penn State on the road, so Oregon's place on the schedule would have pumped up their résumé.

Last year’s Auburn-Oregon matchup in Week 1 was full of drama, and the Buckeyes at the Ducks surely would have left us on the edge of our seat, as well.  

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