There is an assortment of outstanding neutral-site college football games featuring far away locales and idyllic matchups this season. Here are a few games to keep an eye on during the season.
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California vs. Hawaii
ANZ Stadium _ Sydney, Australia
Friday, August 26
Buzz: The first of a pair of college football games taking place outside U.S. soil, California and Hawaii will spend nearly 29 hours combined in the air before arriving in Sydney for this season-opening matchup. This is the second time Cal has traveled overseas to play a football game with the Golden Bears taking part in the Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo, Japan in 1987. Jared Goff's exit leaves Cal heading into next season with a mark question mark at quarterback. Hawaii, meanwhile, is looking to start off the Nick Rolovich Era with a major upset of a Power 5 foe.
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Georgia Tech vs. Boston College
Aviva Stadium _ Dublin, Ireland
Saturday, Sept. 3
Buzz: Idyllic Ireland has been a popular setting to host college football games since the late 1980s. Boston College kicked things off back in 1988 with a thrilling 38-29 win over Army in Dublin. The Eagles will make a return trip, this time to take on a familiar foe in Georgia Tech. The last time these two programs met was back in 2012 and the series has swung towards the Yellow Jackets who've owned a commanding 6-2 advantage since 1972. Both programs are looking for bounce-back seasons with Boston College looking to snap an 8-game losing streak in ACC play.
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Oklahoma vs. Houston
NRG Stadium _ Houston, Texas
Saturday, Sept. 3
Buzz: Both teams will more than likely enter the season ranked in the top 25 making this showdown a crucial one to say the least. Houston is riding a huge wave of momentum after the Cougars went 13-1 including a perfect 4-0 record against top 25 opponents. Oklahoma is coming off a Big 12 title and a disappointing loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Sooners haven't lost to a team not currently in a Power 5 conference since Boise State in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. OU's Baker Mayfield and UH's Greg Ward Jr. can make early statements for the Heisman.
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LSU vs. Wisconsin
Lambeau Field _ Green Bay, Wisconsin
Saturday, Sept. 3
Buzz: An early season showdown that's sure to fuel the SEC-Big Ten debate as LSU travels to legendary Lambeau Field to take on Wisconsin. The Tigers are coming off one of the most bizarre seasons, one in which Les Miles' job security was in questions until the final week of the season. LSU enters this season with a massive chip on its shoulder led by Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette. Wisconsin won 10-games in 2015 but losses to Iowa and Northwestern by a total of 10 points knocked the Badgers out of the Big Ten title race.
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Georgia vs. North Carolina
Georgia Dome _ Atlanta, Georgia
Saturday, Sept. 3
Buzz: The Kirby Smart Era begins in Atlanta as Georgia makes its first trip back to the Georgia Dome since the 2012 SEC Championship. The Bulldogs have traditionally not fared well there including a 4-7 record since 1978. North Carolina hasn't fared much better with the Tar Heels having lost four out of the past six meetings at the Georgia Dome. One of those losses includes a 30-24 loss to LSU in the Chick-Fil-A Classic in 2010. That said UNC is 1-4 at neutral-sites under Larry Fedora with a 2-6 mark against teams from Power 5 conferences.
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USC vs. Alabama
AT&T Stadium _ Dallas, Texas
Saturday, Sept. 3
Buzz: For the fifth straight year, Alabama will open up play at a neutral-site venue. This will be the third time the Crimson Tide kick off the season at AT&T Stadium and the team's fourth overall appearance at the venue. Nick Saban holds an impressive 3-0 mark in Jerry's World with a pair of wins last season including a 38-0 win over Michigan State in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Expect much of the talk leading up to this game to center on Alabama's offense _ specifically the team's offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin _ who was unceremoniously dumped as USC's head coach in 2014.
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Ole Miss vs. Florida State
Camping World Stadium _ Orlando, Florida
Monday, Sept. 5
Buzz: One of the busiest college football weekends wraps up with a Labor Day showdown. Camping World Stadium is quickly becoming a home-away-from-home for Florida State after the Central Florida venue played host to the Seminoles' spring game in April. Now the team looks to take on an Ole Miss squad that featured one of the top offenses in the SEC last season. The Rebels are making their first trip to Orlando. FSU returns 17 starters including 11 on offense making Jimbo Fisher's team one of the early favorites in the race for the College Football Playoff.
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Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech
Bristol Motor Speedway _ Bristol, Tennessee
Saturday, Sept. 10
Buzz: More than 150,000 spectators are expected to pack Bristol Motor Speedway as the iconic race track transforms into the largest venue to host a college football game. In what can only be described as one of the most unique locations for a game, Tennessee has a definitive home-field advantage as the Volunteers look to win their fourth game in this brief six game series. Justin Fuente is familiar with the Volunteer State, having spent the past three years at Memphis before taking the head coaching job at Virginia Tech. The last time the Hokies were led by someone not named Frank Beamer was 1986.
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Florida vs. Georgia
EverBank Field _ Jacksonville, Florida
Saturday, Oct. 29
Buzz: Perhaps they should rename this one the Saban Bowl as both Florida's Jim McElwain and Georgia's Kirby Smart worked together at Alabama on Nick Saban's coaching staff. Smart's no stranger to this series, having been a part of it as a player in the mid-1990s. Florida, meanwhile, has won two in a row including last season's 27-3 win _ McElwain's first as the Gators coach. The winner of this one could earn a leg up on the SEC East division race.
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Army vs. Navy
M&T Bank Stadium _ Baltimore, Maryland
Saturday, Dec. 10
Buzz: Few rivalries carry the pageantry and the tradition that comes with the Army-Navy series. The Midshipmen have dominated the series as of late winning 14 consecutive games however four of the last five meetings have been decided by seven-points or less. The last Army victory came in 2001 and the Cadets are eager to snap the streak.
