https//escatter11fullertonedu/nfs/show_userphpuserid=4756285 will see two enormous matchups that could determine conference title contenders Illinois takes on Michigan and Syracuse hosts Wake Forest; with Illinois listed as 175-point favorites against Michigan This week's schedule also features Georgia's home opener against Samford, which should be an easy victory but will serve to gauge Smart's team and gauge its intensity Non-conference The 2023 college football season promises to be full of surprises, from rivalry games and coaching debuts to division expansion in Big Ten and SEC conferences and two new members joining American Athletic Conference leagues, so it will be fascinating to see how their respective non-conference schedules look this fall Idealy, teams should construct schedules which combine winnable games with tough challenges in order to build quality records and demonstrate to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee they are true contenders Unfortunately, this can be challenging when games are scheduled months in advance Many conferences choose a mix of winnable and challenging opponents when choosing their non-conference schedule Not only can these games help improve a conference's strength of schedule, but they're also an opportunity to renew old rivalries or test themselves against top competition Last year's non-conference slate offered some of the most captivating college football matches ever seen, including Oklahoma versus Baylor's Game of the Century rematch, an all-time classic matchup between Texas versus Alabama at Austin and a Backyard Brawl between Pittsburgh vs West Virginia vs West Virginia vs Pitt versus Pitt vs West Virginia The SEC remains the leader among power conferences when it comes to scheduling non-conference games, but other conferences offer some intriguing matches as well - like Colorado hosting TCU for their home opener as well as making trips to Nebraska and Colorado State Conferences Conference schedules are an integral component of college football seasons Teams typically play eight to nine conference games and several non-conference matches per season; typically four home and four away contests within each conference; remaining games are non-conference and colleges can choose their opponents either via rivalries or lesser known schools; these non-conference matches play an essential part in team success as they help establish recognition for both teams as well as building resumes At NCAA Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision FBS, five conferences with significant prestige and financial resources - known as Power Five conferences - boast considerable prestige and are considered top tier of FBS competition Each Power Five conference receives at least one guaranteed bid to a New Year's Six bowl game and their members enjoy autonomy from certain NCAA regulations The Big 12 Conference is one of the premier college football conferences, boasting ten of America's premier college teams like TCU Horned Frogs and Texas Tech Red Raiders, along with top schools like Ohio State and Michigan While recent departures may diminish its strength somewhat, the Big 12 still provides much-needed balance; as well as boasting top-tier programs it includes both mid-tier programs as well as some lower tier schools Bowls College football's bowl season is an integral component of its national championship playoffs and 2022-2023 will see 42 FBS bowl games that make up this campaign Beginning December 16 with the Bahamas Bowl and Cure Bowl and concluding on January 9, when Rose Bowl and Allstate Sugar Bowl host their respective national title matches for College Football Playoff national champion, most bowl games - including ESPN networks broadcast New Year's Six bowls will take place throughout this campaign This game features two teams with the potential to score big points and keep final rankings unpredictable Ohio State's high-octane offense will put Georgia's non-pressuring but effective coverage defense to the test, while taking advantage of any holes in Ohio State's secondary Both teams will enter this matchup hoping to improve their playoff odds, making this game all the more significant as it marks the first time since 2021 that both top-ranked Alabama and No 2 Michigan have played on one day - which promises an exciting end to one of the finest college football seasons of recent memory Rankings College football rankings schedule is an integral aspect of the sport, determining playoff participation and national championship prospects for every team Three main rankings exist for college football Coaches Poll, AP Poll and College Football Playoff Rankings *** https//myclcclcillinoisedu/web/mycampus/homep_p_id=19amp;p_p_lifecycle=1amp;p_p_state=normalamp;p_p_mode=viewamp;p_p_col_id=column-1amp;p_p_col_pos=1amp;p_p_col_count=2amp;_19_struts_action=2Fmessage_boards2Fedit_message throughout the season to reflect how teams compare against one another based on results of individual games played - although *** rankings take time for teams to establish track records before becoming candidates for its four top spots The 2023 Red River Showdown features two programs with much to prove this season Oklahoma looks poised for a comeback following last season's crushing loss to Texas; Oregon hopes to build on last season's breakout performance and return to the top 10 Attracting national attention, the No 1-ranked team in SportsNet's preseason rankings will take on a resurgent Penn State squad featuring Drew Allar and Kaytron Allen at running back respectively, in what could become a prime-time broadcast on ABC/ESPN during Week 7 Border rivalries with playoff implications feature this contest between Heisman Trophy hopefuls and returning quarterbacks with plenty of hype surrounding them, providing for an engaging viewing experience even without star power of other top games