The first week of the college football season usually finds powerhouse programs taking on an easy opponent so they can start the season with a win.
For example, the No. 1 ranked team USC will play against unranked Hawaii, while No. 3 LSU takes on lowly North Texas at home.
Other teams purposefully try to schedule tough games early on as a way to test their team for the upcoming year. Both No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 8 Michigan Wolverines have that in mind as they prepare to face off at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday night.
The game is easily the marquee matchup of college football's first week.
Both teams have a lot to prove, as both are expected to contend for conference titles. The teams have played four times previously, but never in the regular season. The two schools have combined for 25 championships over the years.
Alabama is the defending national champions, but questions remain since they return just 13 starters from that team, including only 4 on defense.
Fortunately for coach Nick Saban, one of those starters is quarterback AJ McCarron, who was the offensive MVP of the national title game.
"If this team is not successful it is not because of the character and attitude of the team," said Saban, according to the Associated Press. "It will be because of the lack of experience the team has in certain positions, and they may make too many mistakes to win. It will not get compared that way, I am sure, because this team has done everything the right way."
Michigan is also dealing with high expectations after coach Brady Hoke led the team to a 10-2 regular season record in his first year with the program in 2011.
Hoke was hired after three disappointing seasons under former coach Rich Rodriguez, in which the team missed playing in a bowl game for the first time since 1974. Hoke showed improvement immediately, leading the Wolverines to an appearance in the Sugar Bowl, where they beat the Virginia Tech Hokies 23-20 in overtime.
"I went back and thought about last year at this time," Hoke said to the Associated Press. "I didn't know if we were going to win two games let alone 11, because you don't know until you get in the real deal as far as playing games.
Senior quarterback Denard Robinson also expects to have a successful season and is projected to be a Heisman candidate this year. The electric Robinson is known for his speed and earned the nickname "Shoelace" for his recurring habit of not tying the laces on his cleats. He finished sixth in the Heisman voting in 2010.
Although Michigan would like to make a big statement by beating Alabama, the team will be shorthanded even before kickoff after Hoke suspended starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and backup defensive end Frank Clark before the game.
According to the Associated Press, Toussaint pleaded guilty to a drunken driving incident, while Clark was accused of theft. The sophomore running back rushed for over 1,000 yards last season.
Whatever team emerges victorious from the game will take the first step in what each hopes will be a championship season.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday night.
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