Desmond Howard reveals his Top 3 must-see early-season college football games

College football has arrived! With the offseason over, programs from across the country will start to play as early as this weekend during Week 0. That has ESPN’s Desmond Howard already marking up some of his own favorite games early on in the schedule as we head into September.

Howard joined ‘Get Up’ this morning to preview this next college football season. In doing so, he picked his top-three early matchups that will be must-see television.

Unfortunately, none of the three are scheduled for this weekend with two set for next weekend while the third isn’t until September 9th. In total, four of the Power Five conferences are represented while four of the six teams would be considered as contenders both in their leagues as well as for the College Football Playoff.

1. No. 5 LSU Tigers vs. No. 8 Florida State Seminoles

LSU and Florida State played a classic game in their matchup last season in New Orleans. A game-saving block by the Seminoles on LSU’s potentially tying PAT, though, sent Mike Norvell’s team off into the rest of the season with some momentum. Now, as both teams enter the year with major aspirations, Howard also believes that, in Orlando, the Tigers are going to want this one a little extra based on what took place 364 days prior inside Caesars Superdome.

“Don’t forget, a year ago, Florida State beat LSU in a heartbreaker. LSU? I think they want revenge,” said Howard. “You look at Florida State’s team? That quarterback right there, Jordan Travis? They’re trying to put in a bid to be ACC champs and go to the College Football Playoff. But you’re looking at an LSU team that beat Alabama a year ago. They want to show you that it was not a fluke.”

2. Colorado Buffaloes vs. TCU Horned Frogs

This might not be the highest-ranked contest of the opening weekend but, considering all things, Colorado vs. TCU has a ton of intrigue. That conversation obviously starts with Deion Sanders in his first game leading the Buffaloes but it also ends with how Sonny Dykes intends to lead the Horned Frogs in his second year and off of an appearance in the national title game.

“Who has been getting more press than that man right there in Coach Prime? Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffs! Of course they’re stepping up in competition now in the Pac-12. Shedeur Sanders, the quarterback. Travis Hunter? He can do it all,” Howard said. “(They’re) going up against a TCU team that, a year ago, played in college football’s national championship. But they only return 10 starters. What is Sonny Dykes going to do this season? That’s must-see TV with that game right there.”

3. No. 11 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide

This is another matchup that’s almost within the Top-10 and that will have all eyes on it come week two as that weekend’s marquee. Alabama went into Austin last fall and eked out of The 40 Acres with a 20-19 victory. Now, with Texas coming to Tuscaloosa this time, they also have retribution on their minds as Steve Sarkisian’s talented Longhorns will look to pull off a big-time victory for their program over Nick Saban and company.

“A year ago, Alabama? They snuck out of Austin with a win because Quinn Ewers got hurt in that game. But this man is serious – he’s so serious this year that the young man cut off his mullet! He got a little buff, got in that weight room, and he started studying the film,” said Howard. “Quinn Ewers is back, he has Xavier Worthy, they have some weapons. This is a really, really big year for Steve Sarkisian,” continued Howard. “Alabama vs. Texas in Tuscaloosa? Must-see TV.”