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Missing out: Too bad we didn’t get to see these team square off this season
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This year was another great year of college football. We saw some crazy finishes, some the referees got right – and some they didn’t. We saw crazy overtimes and unbelievable plays. We saw records broken and other amazing feats of athletic ability. Really, this season of college football was just as fun as all the rest.
The one thing that we often find is missing once it’s all over are those cross-conference matchups that really would have made things interesting. Whether it’s a rematch of an old game, a coach facing his old team, or a battle for the pride of the state, these are the dream matchups which we use to fuel our hypothetical discussions of what could have been or which conference really is the best.
Here are the matchups that we think would have been very fun to see in 2015:
Ohio State vs. Alabama: This would have meant so much more to the SEC than just a rematch of last year’s playoff game. The Buckeyes may be one of the teams the SEC hates the most, because their history of playing SEC teams in big-time games has been extensive. We relish any opportunity to beat them. We’ve also been calling Ohio State’s schedule a list of cupcakes all season long. How long would they have lasted against Alabama’s brick wall of a defense? Would Alabama have gotten its sweet revenge? The promos for this dream matchup would have written themselves.
Florida vs. Oklahoma: Let’s first be clear. By Florida, we mean first half of the season Florida, the one that had an offense capable of getting first downs. With that settled, a Gators-Sooners date would have been an interesting one this year. The last time these two teams played was in the 2009 BCS National Championship, and Florida stole the show. Bob Stoops probably would have enjoyed the opportunity to get back at his old team, especially since his current team is finally in the midst of an upswing. Stoops was the assistant head coach and the defensive coordinator at Florida for two years before taking the head coaching position at Oklahoma.
Oregon vs. Baylor: Sometimes you want to watch two teams play nitty-gritty, tough, defense-minded football. But sometimes you just want to watch two offenses score and score and score. With those times in mind, we give you the Bears and the Ducks, two of the highest-scoring teams in college football. I always wonder with these kind of matchups, will it ultimately come down to one team being forced to make a defensive stand? Or will it literally become which offense can outlast and out-blast the other?
Texas vs. Houston: There’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s not the Longhorns. The AAC made a name for themselves this year by propelling multiple teams into the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings. At the top of that pack sits the Cougars. Historically speaking, Texas has dominated this contest, with a 16-7-2 all time record against Houston. But something tells us that if they had met this year, things may have gone a little differently.
Auburn vs. North Carolina: If South Carolina was able to beat North Carolina at the beginning of the season, it follows that Auburn could beat them too, right? In any case, if this had been a matchup this season, reputations could have been made or broken on the spot. Let’s not forget that Auburn fired Gene Chizik back in 2012, the same Chizik who now is doing great things as North Carolina’s defensive coordinator.
Florida State vs. LSU: Both teams came up short in their respective conferences this season, which means that it would be a very even matchup on the football field. Both teams have rosters full of talented players and both teams would have taken it as a chance to prove conference dominance over the other. Coaching history also comes into play between these two teams. Jimbo Fisher was LSU’s offensive coordinator for six years and he’s on the top of the list for LSU fans who would love to see Les Miles go. Fisher has no interest, of course, but that doesn’t stop Tigers fans from wishing.
Christine Wang is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. She covers Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss.
