The 2022 college football games we’re already looking forward to

We’re just 16 days removed from the 2021 college football season, and after the exciting five months of football we just had, it’s hard to not look ahead to 2022.

New faces in new places, rivalries renewed and rivalries intensified have us looking forward to plenty of nonconference matchups heading into next season.

Here’s a list of some of those, starting with Week 1.

Both teams are almost certainly going to be ranked in the top 10 in the preseason poll, with each expected to return at least 13 starters. Combine that with two of the biggest brands in the sport and it’s obvious why this game is on the list.

This game will be the first regular-season game of Marcus Freeman’s tenure at Notre Dame. Freeman coached the Irish in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State, just days after Brian Kelly left for LSU. With an offseason under his belt (and the addition of safety Brandon Joseph, a Northwestern transfer) and opening against a good Ohio State team, we’ll have a good idea of how Freeman’s Notre Dame tenure is starting off.

On the Ohio State side, we got somewhat of a preview of the Buckeyes’ 2022 iteration in the Rose Bowl, which included a seasoned C.J. Stroud and breakout games from Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. We’ll also see an Ohio State team with more of Ryan Day’s imprint on it, with the most dramatic changes to the coaching staff since Urban Meyer left Columbus.

Both of these teams are going to be storylines in the 2022 season. Utah is coming off of one of the most exciting Rose Bowl games we have ever seen, despite being on the wrong side of the final result. And despite losing key players to the NFL in LB Devin Lloyd, LB Nephi Sewell and WR Britain Covey, the Utes will still be favored to win the Pac-12.

Utah will be an immediate test for Florida in Billy Napier’s first game as head coach. It’s a lot to expect an immediate…