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Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Auburn at Clemson (Sept. 9)

Auburn almost ended Clemson's quest for last year's title before it even began. Down by six in the closing seconds of the season opener, Auburn got the ball into Clemson territory prior to running out of steam. Clemson escaped with a 19-13 victory. But with both Auburn and Clemson each already represented twice in the top 10, we opted to leave this September gem in the honorable mentions.

Arkansas vs. TCU (Sept. 9)

Arkansas went into Fort Worth last September and eked out a double-overtime win over the Horned Frogs—a result that was extra noteworthy at the time, as TCU was the only Top 20 team to suffer a loss that week. But it's unlikely that either team will be ranked this time around.

Penn State vs. Pittsburgh (Sept. 9)

Were it not for Pittsburgh's 42-39 upset of Penn State in the second week of last season, the Nittany Lions would have been playing in the College Football Playoff. Will the Panthers be responsible for the sadness of a ton of fans in Happy Valley for the second straight year, or will this be a payback drubbing?

Georgia at Tennessee (Sept. 30)

After trailing 17-0 in the first half, Tennessee improved to 5-0 by scoring 20 fourth-quarter points, including the game-winning Hail Mary as time expired. But neither team is quite the same level of national championship candidate as every team represented in the top 10. Still, this may well be the game that determines who wins the SEC East, and it was one of the five most exciting games of last season.

Alabama vs. Ole Miss (Sept. 30)

Prior to the national championship, Alabama only played in one game decided by fewer than 10 points: the 48-43 win over Ole Miss in which the Crimson Tide overcame a 21-point deficit. And in each of the previous two seasons, the Rebels were the only team to hand Alabama a regular-season loss. Even though expectations for bowl-ineligible Ole Miss are low, there's just something about this pairing that always produces drama.

Army vs. Navy (Dec. 9)

Army's 21-17 win last December snapped a 14-game Navy winning streak in arguably the most iconic rivalry in college football. There's virtually zero chance this game has CFP implications, but it's still an entertaining finish to the regular season on an annual basis.