After a long and busy season for college athletics, the football season arrives with a host of tantalizing angles.

What You Need To Know

A handful of games kick off the season Aug. 23, with the most intriguing a Big 12 matchup between No. 22 Iowa State and No. 17 Kansas State

The AP Top 25 and the coaches poll both list Texas as the preseason No. 1 team (plus-450, or 9-2 odds)

Ohio State is right behind them (plus-525), followed by No. 5 Georgia and No. 2 Penn State (both 7-1) and then Clemson and No. 7 Oregon (both 9-1)

The College Football Playoff remains at 12 teams this year with one significant tweak: Unlike last year, conference champions will not be guaranteed a bye in the first round

A look at some of the big games among the top teams, what's at stake and the hurdles that

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