Pat Dooley’s High Five (July 21st)

As SEC Media Days wind down in Atlanta (can you believe they made it all the way through without me?), we can start to look ahead to games.

Because you may know that one of my mantras is that the only news that comes out of college football camps is bad news.

Everything else is just what the coaches want you to hear. We have to wait for the actual games to really know the truth because, well, the ball doesn’t lie.

But I am certainly looking forward to what may be an incredibly interesting college football season. How much am I looking forward to it? Well, I have already scouted out the early games.

And that’s what the High Five brings you today – the five best games BEFORE we get to Sept. 3, which is really the start of it for a lot of people:

 

1. Penn State at Purdue

This one is Sept. 1, which is Thursday at 8 p.m. before all heck breaks loose. It’s not a huge game, but it certainly is a good one and you know Penn State will be ranked. TV: Fox.

 

2. Nebraska-Northwestern

What a way to kick off the season in the first week (I refuse to call it Week Zero) with a 12:30 p.m. game in Dublin. You are allowed to have a cocktail on the morning of Aug. 27. TV: Fox.

 

3. West Virginia at Pitt

This is another Thursday game on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. between two teams who have a chance to be good. The great thing is that you will need two TVs to watch both games. TV: ESPN.

 

4. Vanderbilt at Hawai’i

Look, it’s an SEC team. Barely. This game is the 10:30 game on Aug. 27. So, you’re saying I’m asking you to stay up past midnight to watch the Commodores? I know I will. And Vandy is favored. TV: CBS Sports Network.

 

5. Central Michigan at Oklahoma St.

OK, I’m running out of good games, but this one is on that first Thursday at 7 p.m. It’s Jim McElwain vs. Mike Gundy so, yeah, I will watch. Okie St. could be a sleeper playoff pick. TV: FS1.