College football is finally returning, as Week 1 will open with big bangs matchups across the country between the top championship contending teams.

It's been a long offseason for college football, but the moment we've all been waiting for is finally coming to our screens.

With televised schedules released and official preseason rankings published, this year's showdowns are shaping up to be nothing short of the excitement last season offered.

As tge top teams are set to kick off in dual battles in week 1, slated for September 1-5, here are the top matchups that will have you glued to your TV screens.

Without a doubt, the fifth-best in the nation, the Fighting Irish, taking on the colossal opportunity to tackle top-ranked The Ohio State is the ultimate headlining game of college football's week 1.

The matchup will highlight not just two of the top programs in the country, but will showcase a matchup that we can potentially see again on the national championship level.

The Ohio State Buckeyes hosting Notre Dame will also be the homecoming for their new head coach Marcus Freeman.

Freeman, a former Buckeye linebacker, started his head coaching tenure with a loss in the Fiesta Bowl, but his opener in Columbus will mark the beginning of his first full year at the steering wheel.

Notre Dame's exceptional offense will be a good early test for the Buckeye defense, which is also under new coaching helmed by Defensive Coordinator of the Year honoree Jim Knowles.

With so much noise in the Pac-12 offseason thanks to UCLA and USC's huge conference realignment announcement, what better way for Oregon to make a statement about the conference than by facing off against the reigning national champions, Georgia.

Oregon vs Georgia will be an interesting game, primarily because it was the Ducks' new head coach Dan Lanning that garnered Georgia's defense to the national title in 2021.

Although Lanning served as Georgia's defensive coordinator last season, he recently accepted a promotion to become head coach for Oregon. Now, he will face off against his old school right out of the gate.

If Georgia can pull off an early win against the Pac-12 program, The Bulldogs could have a repeat of last season and go all the way to the SEC Championship Game undefeated.

One of the most important starting games that will define the direction of its teams' season is looking to be Arkansas and Cincinnati's matchup.

Both teams have much to prove this season after coming off big performances last year.

The Bearcats finished last season by making college football history for Cincinnati as the first-ever non-Power 5 team to make a college Football playoff.

However, this season, the program is returning to the field without most of the talent that led them to last year's playoffs.

Arkansas, an up-and-comer in the SEC West, enters this season fresh off a nine win streak record with their returning star quarterback KJ Jefferson.

Jefferson returns for the Razorbacks with a campaign of 21 touchdowns and 4 interception thrown, in which he led Arkansas in rushing.

In the first week of college football, 24 of the top 25 ranked teams will suit up for action, starting with West Virginia vs No. 17 Pittsburg and Central Michigan vs No. 12 Oklahoma State.