Nothing turns my attention toward the next college football season quite as swiftly as the non-conference schedule pairings. That, and determining if the story line in South Bend will be "Notre Shame", "Wake Up The Echoes" or "Overrated" (in '08 it will be the middle stage, by the way).

Some non-conference opponents meet every year (Florida State-Florida) or nearly every year (Notre Dame-Michigan). What intrigues me, in January at least, are the prospects of those blind-date pairings that may either provide thrilling theater (Texas-Ohio State, '05) or be simply horrible ideas (Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah in Taxi comes to mind … or Eddie Murphy in any film also starring Eddie Murphy).

And thus I've spent the past day foraging next season's 25 most intriguing intersectional games. Match-ups that are rarities ... the kind that tend to cause a spike in the college football fan's pulse otherwise achievable only when the words "Now let's go down to Erin Andrews" are heard.

By the way, there's a 26th games out there somewhere. At the moment defending national champ LSU has an open date and a non-conference schedule that includes North Texas, Troy and Tulane. All are visiting Baton Rouge. We deserve better, and chances are there's an ESPN executive in Bristol, Conn., who agrees with us. And is working hard to find an opponent for Les Miles' Tigers on Sept. 13, Oct. 6 or Nov. 15. Or, even better, why not "persuade" Miami of Ohio and Troy, the respective opponents of Michigan and LSU on Sept. 6, to instead play each other?

LSU-Michigan from the Big House on the season's second Saturday? I'd watch. Wouldn't you?

1. Georgia at Arizona State -- Sept. 20

Think -- think! -- of the last time the Bulldogs traveled west of the Central Time Zone. Do you remember? I don't, because they last did so six years prior to my existence. Georgia lost 10-3 at Southern Cal on Oct. 7, 1960. The Dawgs picked an excellent time to play a Musberger-worthy contest, as Mark Richt's club will be a preseason No. 1 in many mags. Knowshon Moreno, only a sophomore, is the goods. Rudy Carpenter returns at QB for the Sun Devils, Pac-10 runners-up in '07.

2. Ohio State at Southern Cal -- Sept. 13

Here's an early-season battle between a pair of perennial top 5's, one of whom has played in the national championship game five of the past six seasons. Buckeye All-American defensive end Vernon Gholston has declared for the NFL draft, but All-American linebacker mate James Laurinaitis will return. So will Alex Boone, all 6-8, 325 of him, at offensive tackle for the Buckeyes. The Trojans have not lost a home game in September since 2001, Pete Carroll's first season there.

3. Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis) -- Aug. 30

They've been playing this gateway gridiron grudge match for a few years now, but this game has never been sexier. Heisman invitee Chase Daniel, tight end Chase Coffman and super-soph Jeremy Maclin (plus our favorite-named defensive end, Stryker Sulak) return for the Tigers, while the Illini have a splendid soph of their own in Arrelious Benn.

4. Auburn at West Virginia -- Sept. 6

Remember that season when Auburn had a stifling defense, a forgettable quarterback and no player that anyone out of range of Paul Finebaum's radio show could name? Exactly. Kodi Burns (or perhaps Chris Todd) is the signal-caller in-waiting for the Tigers but the defense, led by Antonio Coleman, will give them at least a shot in the SEC West. Steve Slaton is off to the NFL, but Noel Devine's intervention in the backfield in Morgantown may have triggered it. Can Pat White finally, at the very least, be invited to the Heisman ceremony?

5. Alabama vs. Clemson (in Atlanta) -- Aug. 30

Crimson, meet Clemson. Alabama will have three Tigers to tame in '08 (SEC West foes Auburn and LSU being the other two). Nick Saban's problem with this trio of Tigers is that, "They're grrrreat!" The kitties' Cullen Harper had a 27 to 6 TD/INT ratio in '07 and returns all of his wideouts plus running back C.J. Spiller. The Tide and these Tigers last met in 1975, when Bear Bryant's bunch won 56-0.

6. Tennessee at UCLA -- Sept. 6

Rick Neuheisel's long and winding road back to his alma mater--he led the Bruins to a Rose Bowl win in '84 as a walk-on quarterback--begins with the Vols. Phil Fulmer's team opened '07 in California, too, but that was against a far more talented Cal team. With few exceptions (such as quarterback, kicker and tight end), the Bruins are starting from scratch.

7. Arkansas at Texas -- Sept. 13

Hogs-Horns. This good ol'-fashioned Southwest Conference dust-up would be far better if the Hogs' Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and the Horns' Jamaal Charles had not declared early for the draft (a frequent sentiment in this column, as by now you've realized). Colt McCoy, tossing to seniors Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley (who is not a character out of The Great Gatsby), is a legitimate Heisman candidate for the burnt orange.

8. Oklahoma at Washington -- Sept. 20

Put the Fiesta Bowl out of your mind. The Sooners are loaded, with all five offensive line starters, all seniors, returning. That includes Brandon Walker and Branndon Braxton, but not Brandon Irons (who does not exist, but what a great name for a Big 12 player that would be, no?). Sam Bradford (OU) and Jake Locker (U-Dub), both redshirt sophs, are outstanding QBs. Oklahoma represents U-Dub's third non-conference foe in the past two seasons who appeared in a BCS bowl the year before -- in case anyone thought Ty Willingham had it easy.

9. Boise State at Oregon -- Aug. 30

Ian Johnson is still a Bronco. Really. He's 44 now and has two grandkids with Chrissy Popadics, but he's still a Bronco. Boise State loses its defensive heart in safety Marty Tadman (who scored a touchdown in each of his last two bowl games) and mammoth offensive tackle Ryan Clady declared early for the draft. Duck tailback Jonathan Stewart will likely use his 2007 Sun Bowl performance (253 yards rushing) to declare as well, though he has not yet. For all the success the Broncos have had this decade, they are 0-4 in visits to Pac-10 schools.

10. Virginia Tech at Nebraska -- Sept. 27

New Husker head coach Bo Pelini saw the Hokies just last season, when he was LSU's defensive coordinator. The Bayou Bengals blasted the Hokies 48-7. Then again, it helps having Glenn Dorsey, Ali Highsmith and Craig Steltz on your defense. Frank Beamer has two starting quarterbacks but no starting cornerbacks, as both Brandon Flowers and Victor Harris are off to the NFL after their junior seasons.

11. Miami at Florida -- Sept. 6

Kudos to both Sunshine State schools for scheduling this one. "The U" ended '07 with four consecutive losses, including a shameful 48-0 shutout in their final bow at the O.B. Randy Shannon's second season in Coral Gables will be better, but you won't know it from this arduous afternoon in Gainesville. Defensive ends Calais Campbell (Miami) and Derrick Harvey (UF) both have bolted after their junior years for the NFL.

12. Oregon State at Penn State -- Sept. 6

The Beavers visit Beaver Stadium. So who has the home-field advantage? The team whose coach has a statue of himself just outside the stadium, that's who. The Nittany Lions lose Dan Connor but still may have the Big Ten best non-Laurinaitis linebacker in Sean Lee. Daryll Clark, a first-year starter at QB as a senior in Happy Valley, will remind Nittany fans of former dual-threat Michael Robinson.

13. Southern Cal at Virginia -- Aug. 30

God bless Pete Carroll (even if he is in Atlanta by this point) or at least Trojan A.D. Mike Garrett. If every school scheduled out-of-conference as rigorously as the Trojans do, we'd have fewer bowl game mismatches. Troy is loaded, again, while the Cavaliers set an NCAA record in '07 with five wins by two or fewer points. Defensive end Chris Long will be long gone.

14. Brigham Young at Washington -- Sept. 6

It's not easy to do--nor is it advisable -- but by playing the Cougars the Huskies will have faced the team with the nation's longest win streak three times in their past 14 games. U-Dub ended Boise State's 14-game win streak last September, then became the last of Hawaii's 13 consecutive victims on December 1. Now BYU, which ended '07 with ten wins in a row, visits Seattle. The QB matchup of Jake Locker vs. Max Hall will be special.

15. Utah at Michigan -- Aug. 30

Would the last Wolverine offensive skill position player to leave please shut out the light? The hiring of Rich Rodrizguez has turned Ann Arbor into Ann Onymous, as mass defections and graduation have riddled the offensive depth chart. New coach Rich Rodriguez has probably uttered--but not texted--the words "Pat White" to high school phenom Terrelle Pryor 500 times in the past week. Appalachian State redux? Unlikely.

16. Kansas at South Florida

The Jayhawks gain much recruiting momentum with their Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech, while the Bulls looked abominable (Abomina-Bulls) in the Sun Bowl. Will Todd Reesing, KU's undersized, overachieving QB, out-duel USF's Matt Grothe?

17. Mississippi State at Georgia Tech -- Sept. 20

That team from Athens is not the only Bulldog squad Paul Johnson need worry about in his first season in Atlanta. Johnson, who brought great success to Navy, returns to his Peachtree state roots. Sly Croom's MSU squad is coming off its most successful season in quite some time and, though odds of the Bulldogs returning to Atlanta in December are long, why not dream?

18. Notre Dame at Washington -- Oct. 25

The Irish could be -- don't laugh, Mark May -- 6-0 and coming off a bye week by the time they visit Seattle. Look at their first six opponents: Michigan and Purdue are in down years while San Diego State, Stanford and North Carolina are beatable. A visit to East Lansing, where Notre Dame has won its last three, poses the greatest threat. The Ignominious Irish of '07 are much growed up and eager for payback. Freshman wideout Michael Floyd could be this year's Arrelious Benn.

19. Miami at Texas A&M -- Sept. 20

Upending the Aggies was Miami's '07 highlight. The Aggies, under new coach Mike Sherman, return three-year starters Stephen McGee at quarterback and Jorvorskie "HOV" Lane at halfback. Expect a fired-up 12th Man in College Station.

20. West Virginia at Colorado -- Sept. 27

For one day only, call them the Rocky Mountaineers. Pat White and Noel Devine could turn Folsom Field into their own personal track meet. Dan Hawkins' defense will be severely tested.

21. Hawaii at Florida -- Aug. 30

The Warriors, who ended the 2006 calendar year with the nation's longest winning streak (13 games), will lose their second straight and again to an SEC opponent. Gone are coach June Jones and Heisman third-place finisher Colt Brennan as well as all three wideouts (juniors Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullen declared early for the NFL draft). The Gators, meanwhile, will be a preseason No. 1 in some mags, and welcome Southern Cal transfer Emmanuel Moody at tailback.

22. South Florida at Central Florida -- Sept. 6

The Golden Knights and Kevin Smith were held without a touchdown in a 10-3 Liberty Bowl loss to Mississippi State 10-3. Afterward Smith, the nation's leading rusher, said that everyone back in Orlando was disappointed, even "the sheriff's department". How much more disappointed are they now that Smith has opted to forgo his senior season -- and a shot at the NCAA career rushing yardage record--in favor of the NFL draft? USF defensive end George Selvie, who finished second in the nation in sacks with 14.5 in '07, is already haunting George O'Leary's dreams.

23. Penn State at Syracuse -- Sept. 13

Is it too late for the Nittany Lions to join the Big East (ask Miami prez Donna Shalala; it's never too late to switch conferences)? The Big Ten does not need 11 schools -- as long as it's not going to have 12 -- while Penn State is so much more geographically suited for annual bouts with the 'Cuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Rutgers (all within a four-hour drive of nearly impossible to reach Happy Valley).

24. Colorado at Florida State -- Sept. 20

An early-season test for the Seminoles, but the good news is that it cannot be taken on-line. Bobby Bowden's bunch has been a repository of bad news of late, from the three dozen players ruled ineligible for the recent bowl loss to Kentucky to backup QB Xavier Lee, who holds the Florida prep records for passing TDs and yardage, leaving school. The Buffs will miss graduating linebacker Jordon Dizon, the nation's leading tackler, but defensive tackle George Hypolite is a stud.

25. Wisconsin at Fresno State -- Sept. 13

Pat Hill, the Bulldog coach, is a sportswriter's dream with the things he says. Brett Bielema, the Badger coach, is a sportswriter's dream with the things he does. This match-up falls short of dreamy, but bully for the Badgers for scheduling a game that poses so much risk. The Madison men's next three opponents after Fresno? Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

And one non-intriguing contest ...

Northwestern at Duke -- Sept. 6

Had Northwestern not lost to the Blue Devils at home last season, and assuming the rest of the year had played out the same, Duke would be entering 2008 with a 32-game losing streak. The longest losing streak in I-A history, 34 games, belongs to the Wildcats--and these two meet in Duke's second game of the season.

In short Northwestern, by beating Duke last September and on this day, might have had the Blue Devils join them in ownership of that longest losing streak record. Maybe that's why Duke scheduled James Madison for the week before this.

David Cutcliffe, an excellent and veteran offensive intellect, is the new head coach in Durham.