Livescore
The majority of college football spring games will take place over the next three weekends, and multiple storylines from those games could resonate throughout the entire 2023 season. You don’t have to look far, either. Back-to-back national champion Georgia replaces quarterback Stetson Bennett IV with a new (old) offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo. Ohio State, seeking another shot at the national title after coming up just short against the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff semifinals, has yet another bounty of talented players dotting its roster capable of making that kind of run.
Spring games are also a chance to fine-tune major coaching adjustments. Clemson enters its first spring with starting quarterback Cade Klubnik attempting to master the offense of new play-caller Garrett Riley. The Tigers, once annual CFP participants, are moving forward with a different offensive philosophy they hope can place them back among the true title contenders.
Many of the signature moments we will be enjoying in November and December are the destinations of journeys born in the offseason. What should you pay attention to between now and the rest of spring? Let’s break down the can’t-miss spring games to watch. All times Eastern.
Ohio State
Saturday, April 15 | 12 p.m. on Big Ten Network
The Buckeyes were one missed field goal away from making the College Football Playoff National Championship, and now coach Ryan Day is charged with filling the shoes of two-time Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback CJ Stroud. Kyle McCord, a 6-foot-3, 222-pound junior, and 6-foot-3, 213-pound sophomore Devin Brown are vying for the job but haven’t separated from each other. We do know that the wide receiver room — led by superstar Marvin Harrison Jr. — is one of the best in the game. It’ll be interesting to see how the quarterback contenders work with their talented group of wideouts in the spring game.
Clemson
Saturday, April 15 | 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra
Sophomore Cade Klubnik relegated former starter DJ Uiagalelei to the bench in the ACC Championship Game, and now he has the starting job all to himself after Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State. The big difference is that Klubnik will be working with former TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley instead of Brandon Streeter, who was dismissed after last season. What changes have been made to the offense? Does Klubnik look like the budding superstar that he did toward the end of last season? Those are massive questions facing coach Dabo Swinney, and they will likely make or break the Tigers’ chances of getting back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2020 season.
Saturday, April 15 | 2 p.m. on Longhorn Network
Will it be returning starter Quinn Ewers or true freshman Arch Manning under center for coach Steve Sarkisian? That’s the million-dollar question in Austin. Ewers was hit-or-miss last year, but we got a glimpse of his upside against Alabama in Week 2 when he threw for 134 yards in the first quarter before exiting with an injury. Manning is the five-star super recruit with the famous name and a long quarterback pedigree. The Texas quarterback battle won’t end after the spring game, but we’ll see if Manning is all that close to Ewers.
Saturday, April 15 | 2:30 p.m. on SEC Network+
Josh Heupel’s Volunteers shocked the college football world last season when they ascended to the No. 1 spot in the initial College Football Playoff Rankings. It’s one thing to have success, it’s another to sustain it. Heupel will try without quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. That’s a tall task for a coach entering his third year in the SEC. Veteran Joe Milton and true freshman Nico Iamaleava are vying for the top spot at quarterback; is Iamaleava ready to challenge Milton?
Saturday, April 15 | 3 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks
The Trojans fell short of the Pac-12 championship last season but Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is back under center. Williams and the offense won’t be the most intriguing part of the spring game, though. The Trojans defense was atrocious last year, frequently missing tackles in the open field and allowing 423.9 yards per game and 6.53 yards per play. Quarterbacks won’t be “live,” but if the defense looks halfway decent, that’ll be huge for the Trojans as a playoff contender.
Saturday, April 15 | 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra
The Seminoles are the trendy CFP pick hanks to the return of star quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive end Jared Verse and a host of offensive skill players that make this one of the most complete teams in the country. There aren’t many things that you can take away from the spring game itself; however, if you aren’t on the Florida State bandwagon yet, this is always a fun — even if irrational — place to start.
Georgia
Saturday, April 15 | 4 p.m. on ESPN2
The quarterback position under Bobo will draw the most headlines, and rightfully so. Stetson Bennett IV is gone after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles, so all eyes will be on Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff on G-Day. Beck has more experience, but both have drawn rave reviews this spring. The wide receiver position will also be fascinating to watch. The Bulldogs haven’t had a true deep threat at wide receiver over the past two years, and coach Kirby Smart hit the portal hard luring Dominic Lovett from Missouri and RaRa Thomas from Mississippi State.
Saturday, April 22 | 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Matt Rhule was hired to replace Scott Frost during the offseason, and history suggests he can orchestrate a turnaround in Lincoln just like he did at Baylor. Dual-threat weapon and former Georgia Tech starter Jeff Sims transferred to Nebraska in the first portal window, which shed some light on what kind of offense Rhule will be looking to run. The Huskers offense was mediocre at best during the final games of the Frost era, so it’ll be great to get a glimpse of what the future looks like under Rhule. Nebraska is a tradition-rich program that feels like it should be in the Big Ten title race, and that quest will start on April 22.
Alabama
Saturday, April 22 | 3 p.m. on SEC Network+
The race to replace Bryce Young is already fierce between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, and we’ll see how both fit into new offense coordinator Tommy Rees’ system on April 22. More importantly, though, will be the system itself. Bill O’Brien seemed to focus on hitting chunk plays on the ground, but Rees’ career has been to focus on the run and then take the top off the defense when they stack the box. We’ll also get a chance to see what the new defense looks like after Pete Golding left for Ole Miss. New DC Kevin Steele takes over a group that hasn’t lived up to the high expectations that exist in Tuscaloosa.
Saturday, April 22 | 3 p.m. ET on ESPN
The biggest story of the offseason has been the arrival of Deion Sanders to Boulder for a fledgeling Colorado program that was once a college football power. “Coach Prime” has hit the transfer portal hard to get several superstars, including former No. 1 overall prospect Travis Hunter, who signed with Sanders at Jackson State and played cornerback and wide receiver. Hiring Sanders was an indication of a significant overhaul by Colorado. The chance to see what Sanders has done in just a few short months will be fascinating.
Saturday, April 22 | 4 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks
Washington is another trendy pick to make the CFP after quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finished the 2022 season as college football’s leader in yards passing per game.. He’ll need just a little help from his defense if the Huskies are going to follow through with that hype, and coach Kalen DeBoer hit the portal hard to add depth to what was already a talented room. If the Huskies can get the running game figured out and just play adequate defense, this could be the team to beat out west.
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