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Now, you can taste it. Now, you can smell it. Now, you can pick out your outfit for the first game.
Now, it feels real.
We are almost there, just three weeks from Saturday until the Gators show us whether we have been raised on promises or not.
And we are only two weeks and a day away from the first college football games of the season.
Last week, I gave you the best games of the first weekend plus the Thursday and Friday game. Today, it is the five games I have to watch on the first real Saturday of the season Aug. 31:
- Georgia vs. Clemson in Atlanta, noon, ABC: Well, let’s see what the Bulldogs have and whether Dabo Swinney’s stubborn approach works. Georgia is a 14-point favorite, but that seems like a lot of points.
- Penn State at West Virginia, noon, Fox: This is another of those games that will tell us what the first chapter of a book will look like. Penn State appears to be a playoff team, but this is the first time since 1988 that Penn State has been to Morgantown. The Lions are a 10-point favorite.
- South Dakota State at Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. ESPN +: The Cowboys are one of the teams which could win the wide-open Big 12, but this will be a test because SD State can play. Too bad this is only on “the plus”. Okie State is favored by nine.
- Miami at Florida, 3:30 p.m., ABC: I’m almost talked out about this game and how important it is for both teams. Miami is now a 2.5-point favorite. Gator fans need to be at full throat.
- Notre Dame at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m., ABC: This is the perfect way to finish off your day. The Aggies are favored by a single point and we’ll be watching to see what the Game 3 opponent will look like.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
