3 Big Ten games fans shouldn't miss in Week 1 of 2024 college football season
The Big Ten will have a much different look in 2024 due to conference realignment. The Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans and Washington Huskies have joined the conference from the Pac-12, bringing the total number of teams to 18.
While the college football season officially got underway on Aug. 24 with eight teams in action, Big Ten play will not begin until this weekend.
3 Big Ten games fans shouldn't miss in Week 1 of 2024 college football season
#1: USC Trojans vs. LSU Tigers
The No. 23-ranked USC Trojans are set to enter their first season of Big Ten play. They will have a tough start to their schedule as they face the No. 13-ranked LSU Tigers. While Lincoln Riley is considered one of the top coaches in college football, USC has largely been written off as true contenders.
They will have the opportunity to make a statement by beating a tough SEC opponent. This is one of just three matchups featuring two ranked opponents and is one of the biggest games of the weekend, regardless of conference.
#2: Michigan Wolverines vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
The No. 9-ranked Michigan Wolverines enter the season as the lowest-ranked defending national champions since the Auburn Tigers entered the 2011 season ranked 23rd.
They lost 13 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, the fourth-most of any program in a single draft since the draft was reducted to seven rounds in 1994. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and several key assistants also departed for the NFL.
Furthermore, they are in the midst of an ongoing NCAA investigation. Michigan will face the Fresno State Bulldogs on Big Ten Saturday Night.
They have yet to name a starting quarterback and Game 1 could give fans some insight as to whether or not the Wolverines will be true contenders in the first year of the Sherrone Moore era.
#3: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
The No. 8-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions may benefit from the expanded postseason field more than any other program.
While they never reached the College Football Playoff during the four-team format, they finished in the top-12 of the rankings in six of the past eight seasons, including each of the past two years.
Penn State has a relatively easy path to the postseason compared to other contenders. They will have a tough test out of the gate as they open up against a West Virginia Mountaineers team that has received a lot of preseason love.