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Some of you are college football junkies, consuming the sport with every chance you get. The Hurricanes will always serve as your main event, as they should, but you have other fights on the bill. Suppose you want to watch Florida State against Ole Miss, Clemson take on Auburn, or North Carolina against Georgia, along with your beloved 'Canes. Well, this post is the right place for you. Each week, the State of the U will bring you weekly watch info and game summaries for the biggest clashes around the ACC.
For those of you who can’t get enough college football, State of the U is here to help.
It’s ACC vs. SEC on Kickoff Weekend
Three contests pit the ACC against quality SEC, Power 5 adversaries and present an early opportunity for the conference to prove its worth.
Georgia Bulldogs vs. North Carolina Tar Heels, Saturday, Sept. 3, 5:30 PM ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA – ESPN
The North Carolina Tar Heels begin the year facing the Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Head Coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs defense will give junior Mitch Trubisky a tough test in his first season as UNC’s starting quarterback. In nine appearances for North Carolina in 2015, Trubisky passed for 555 yards, completing 85.1% of his passes, and throwing for 6 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb, one of the best in the SEC, will challenge the Tar Heels defense. In 2015, North Carolina’s rush defense ranked dead last in the ACC, finishing at 121st nationally.
Deep in enemy territory and facing a strong SEC foe, North Carolina will come in as underdogs. If the Tar Heels can escape the Peach State with a victory, it'll go a long way in reassuring fans they're capable of continuing last year's dominant run.
Clemson Tigers vs. Auburn Tigers, Saturday, Sept. 3, 9:00 PM ET, Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL – ESPN
It’s Tigers vs. Tigers as Clemson travels to Auburn. The No. 2 ranked Clemson Tigers are the ACC favorite and appear capable of returning to the College Football Playoff. For that to happen, Deshaun Watson and a potentially lethal Clemson offense must leave Alabama with a victory. While their opponent may not be the strongest the SEC has to offer, Auburn’s defense ranked near the bottom in several statistical categories in 2015, the stage, the setting, deep in SEC country, cannot be overlooked.
Ole Miss Rebels vs. Florida State Seminoles, Monday, Sept. 5, 8:00 PM ET, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL – ESPN
The No. 4 Florida State Seminoles and No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels square off on Monday night at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The Seminoles will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in redshirt freshman Deondre Francois. Assisting Francois in his debut will be one of the nation’s top running backs, junior Dalvin Cook. Florida State enters as the favorite.
The ACC has a strong chance of going 3-0 against the SEC on Kickoff Weekend. How do you think the conference will fare against their SEC adversaries?
If you have any thoughts and comments on these games, opponents, or want to list your own viewing schedule, please do so below in the comments section. The comments section will also serve as a game thread for viewers of these matchups to discuss them further.