Athlon Sports lists top-10 games in Week 1 of 2022 college football season

Although the 2021 college football season just ended less than a month ago, many people are already ready for the 2022 campaign. Even though the season doesn’t kickoff until the first week in September, which is still eight months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to the upcoming schedule.

That’s exactly what Athlon Sports did – listing the top-10 games in Week 1 of the 2022 college football season, which features matchups such as Notre Dame at Ohio State in Marcus Freeman’s full-season debut, the defending national champion Georgia against Oregon and former Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and Penn State at Purdue in West Lafayette.

Here’s a look at Athlon Sports’ top-10 games for Week 1 of the 2022 college football season, from Nos. 1-10.

1.) Notre Dame at Ohio State, Saturday, Sept. 3: Marcus Freeman, a former Ohio State linebacker, will kickoff his first full season as Notre Dame’s head coach on the road in Columbus in what should be a matchup between a pair of top-10 teams.

2.) Georgia vs. Oregon (in Atlanta), Saturday, Sept. 3: The defending national champion Georgia will open its 2022 season with a neutral-site game in Atlanta against Oregon, who’s now led by former Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix could potentially be the Ducks’ starter in that game.

3.) LSU vs. Florida State (in New Orleans), Sunday, Sept. 4: Brian Kelly’s tenure as LSU’s head coach will begin with a matchup against Florida State in New Orleans on opening weekend. Both the Tigers and Seminoles will be looking to put together better seasons in 2022.

4.) Utah at Florida, Saturday, Sept. 3: A loaded Utah team will travel to Gainesville for a season-opening game vs. Florida and new head coach Billy Napier, who replaced Dan Mullen after the Gators’ disappointing 2021 campaign.

5.) Cincinnati at Arkansas, Saturday, Sept. 3: After making a run to the College Football Playoff last season, Cincinnati will be a new-look team in 2022 after losing several standout players. The Bearcats will square off with Sam Pittman’s Arkansas squad in Fayetteville in Week 1.

6.) West Virginia at Pitt, Saturday, Sept. 3: Known as the “Backyard Bowl,” West Virginia and Pitt will meet for the first time since 2011 in the season opener. Pitt is coming off a strong season in 2021, which included an ACC championship and trip to the Peach Bowl.

7.) Penn State at Purdue, Saturday, Sept. 3: Purdue hosts a rebuilding Penn State team at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette to kickoff the 2022 season. Jeff Brohm’s team could be a legit contender in the Big Ten West Division.

8.) Houston at UTSA, Saturday, Sept. 3: Houston at UTSA gives Group of Five football fans a huge matchup in Week 1 of the 2022 season. Both the Cougars and Roadrunners are coming off strong seasons in 2021, making their season-opening meeting must-watch football.

9.) Clemson at Georgia Tech, Monday, Sept. 5: Clemson closed their 2021 season on a high note and will try to carry that momentum into its 2022 opener against Georgia Tech. The Tigers went 10-3 and won the Cheez-It Bowl last year.

10.) Boise State at Oregon State, Saturday, Sept. 3: Boise State at Oregon State features a matchup between a pair of evenly-matched teams in Week 1.

Athlon Sports also listed the following games as other intriguing Week 1 matchups.

– TCU at Colorado (Friday, Sept. 2)
– Arizona at San Diego State
– South Dakota State at Iowa
– Memphis at Mississippi State
– BYU at USF
– Rutgers at Boston College
– Army at Coastal Carolina
– NC State at East Carolina
– North Carolina at Appalachian State
– Illinois at Indiana
– Miami (Ohio) at Kentucky