The NIL and transfer portal world has somewhat sullied its waters over the past several years, but there is still nothing like the raw excitement of major college football.

Athletes are now playing for large cash prizes as well as athletic scholarships, with the best often going to the highest bidder.

But that doesn’t take anything away from the incomparable atmosphere and hype surrounding the must-see showdowns between the nation’s top teams.

The 12-team College Football Playoff format that was instituted for the first time last season still has tweaks to navigate, but some seeding issues that plagued last year’s tournament have already been addressed for this year by shifting more emphasis to final regular-season rankings rather than on winning championships in a weaker conference.

That will more likely result in better matchups all throughout the next postseason, and a field that will involve the best of the best with few items up for debate.

The first full weekend of the 2025 season will unfold with several of the most intriguing matchups in recent memory, featuring a chunk of postseason-type drama well before the leaves begin to turn.

What could be more exciting and hold more national anticipation than the kickoff classic featuring the Texas Longhorns — top-ranked in this year’s Associated Press Top 25 rankings — traveling to a hostile environment in the venerable Horseshoe in Columbus to take on the third-ranked and defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in a noon start on Saturday, Aug. 30?

It will be a rematch of last January’s CFP semifinal thriller that was tied 14-14 with seven minutes left and decided only when star defensive end Jack Sawyer — drafted this past spring by the Pittsburgh Steelers — returned a fumble recovery 83 yards for a touchdown with just over two minutes left to cement Ohio State’s 28-14 victory in the Cotton Bowl.

Also on opening weekend, ninth-ranked LSU visits fourth-ranked Clemson on Saturday and sixth-ranked Notre Dame invades 10th-ranked Miami on Sunday.

The season will begin to be shaped by the outcome of these pre-Labor Day matchups that promise to be among the best nationally televised sports events of the entire calendar year.

Following is my lineup of the top 10 most interesting games with the 2025 college football season on the very near horizon, listed from top to bottom:

Texas at Ohio State (August 30): It just doesn’t get any better than this. And to add even more intrigue, this game will mark the starting debut of Arch Manning – the grandson of legendary NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of both Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Payton Manning and his brother Eli Manning, a future Hall hopeful – behind center for the Longhorns. Texas will have a chance to validate its top national ranking right off the bat by pulling out a victory in one of the most formidable environments for an opponent in major college football. Ohio State lost several key performers on both sides of the ball from last year’s national title team, but the reloading Buckeyes are also bringing plenty back.

Penn State at Ohio State (November 1): The second-ranked Nittany Lions – who must first navigate a September 27 challenge from seventh-ranked Oregon in Penn State’s prime-time White-Out game – are set up to avenge a decade’s worth of frustration at the hands of the Buckeyes, and, at the risk of putting the cart before the horse, having a chance to gain an inside track at possibly securing the top seed in this year’s CFP. Penn State is loaded for bear on offense, bringing back many of its skill players, including quarterback Drew Allar, from last year’s team that played in the Big Ten Conference championship game and lost to Notre Dame in a CFP semifinal matchup in the Orange Bowl.

Texas at Georgia (November 15): The Southeast Conference has been a gauntlet for many years, and the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC last season has upped what had been the conference’s already elite cred. Fifth-ranked Georgia has a chip on its shoulder after being spanked by Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals last year, and the Bulldogs – led by upstart quarterback Gunner Stockton — would like nothing better than to make a huge splash on this year’s schedule by upending Texas.

Oregon at Penn State (September 27): The Ducks suffered key losses to the NFL draft in quarterback Dillon Gabriel and wideout Tez Johnson, who teamed to torch the Nittany Lions in last December’s Big Ten Conference championship game. This year is a new season, though, and Oregon will be tasked to try to prevail in a wild White Out environment under the lights against a very good Penn State team that will have an incentive edge.

LSU at Clemson (August 30): Both of these teams call their home stadiums Death Valley, and LSU’s home field in Baton Rouge is arguably the toughest venue for an opponent to visit, especially under the lights. However, this game will be played in the formidable home environment of a Clemson team that is being picked to win a national championship in some quarters this year. Buckle up for another barnburner after the winner of the Texas-Ohio State game has been established.

Notre Dame at Miami (August 31): How good are the Fighting Irish, who lost to Ohio State in last year’s national title game? We’ll find out very quickly when Notre Dame visits Miami in an opening weekend Sunday night thriller.

LSU at Alabama (November 8): Eighth-ranked Bama is expected to make a strong comeback this season after losing to Michigan in the second-tier Relia Quest Bowl last December in Kalen DeBoer’s first season at the helm of the Crimson Tide. A home-field win over the Tigers in this SEC showdown could go a long way for the Tide’s conference and postseason aspirations. LSU has a veteran quarterback returning in Garrett Nussmeier, who will be a top NFL draft pick.

Ohio State at Michigan (November 29): The Wolverines put Ohio State coach Ryan Day’s job in temporary jeopardy last season by stunning the Buckeyes in Columbus, marking Michigan’s fourth straight win in this storied, bitter rivalry. This will be a big game for Michigan, but an even bigger one for Ohio State, whose season every year is often judged largely on the outcome of this matchup.

Clemson at South Carolina (November 29): The 13th-ranked Gamecocks were one of the surprise teams in college football last season, but they won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year. This rivalry weekend game usually provides fantastic in-state entertainment, and this year’s matchup promises to be a great one.

Alabama at South Carolina (October 25): A tough SEC road test for the Crimson Tide, and another marquee home matchup for the Gamecocks.

John Hartsock can be reached at jhartsock@altoonamirror.com