As a new member of the SEC, the Texas Longhorns will have a lot of big conference games this year. The Horns will take on old rival No. 16 Oklahoma and host No. 1 Georgia in October. Texas will host Florida and renew rivalries with Arkansas and Texas A&M in November.
But before the Longhorns even start their SEC schedule, they must first travel to Ann Arbor for a huge matchup vs. Michigan. Texas fans have had the game circled on the calendar for years. The anticipation has only increased with the Wolverines as defending national champion and the game coinciding with the year Texas joins the SEC.
Now, in a new list of the Top 10 best non-conference games of the year, USA TODAY Sports, has declared Texas at Michigan the biggest of the year. The two programs last met in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
Texas played in arguably the biggest non-conference game last year, when the Longhorns beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Texas carried that momentum all the way to the college football playoff.
Non-conference games might lose a little impact with the playoff expanding to 12 teams. There will definitely be more wiggle room. But that also should make big, early season non-conference games more prevalent.
USA Today says the impact of the Texas-Michigan game could be far reaching.
September 7: Texas Longhorns at Michigan Wolverines
This is the biggest non-conference game of the year. Even if Michigan takes a step back as expected, the defending national champions could upend the early playoff chase by handing Texas a road loss. The fallout from a Michigan win would impact the perception of the SEC and Big Ten, a big deal given that both leagues will have multiple teams in the mix for at-large playoff bids. While the loser wouldn’t be eliminated from the mix by any means, the winner will have a huge tiebreaker to show the selection committee in early December.
Six of the Top 10 non-conference games involve SEC teams:
August 31: Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs (in Atlanta)
August 31: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Texas A&M Aggies
September 1: USC Trojans vs. LSU Tigers (in Las Vegas)
September 7: Texas Longhorns at Michigan Wolverines
September 7: Tennessee Volunteers at NC State Wolfpack
September 14: Alabama Crimson Tide at Wisconsin Badgers
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