In this week’s poll readers voted on which nonconference/non-Notre Dame game was the most intriguing of the 2015 season. Fear not, next week we’ll be discussing which nonconference game (including Notre Dame games … and, yes, a certain Arizona State game) will tell us the most about a team early in the season.

But for now, we were talking about intrigue -- intrigue in storylines and crossed paths and coaching changes and whatnot. The poll revealed that many readers thought that the Oregon-Michigan State matchup would be the most intriguing and our writers had a few thoughts on that as well. Specifically, David Lombardi, Chantel Jennings and Kevin Gemmell decided to hash it out for the world to see in this week’s roundtable.

Which nonconference/non-Notre Dame game provides the most intrigue to you this season and why?

• Lombardi: Utah vs. Michigan

Opening weekend has a heavenly flurry of nonconference action in store for us. Friday features Washington-Boise State, and Saturday boasts ASU-Texas A&M, which is some pretty darn rich icing on the cake. But look no further than Thursday -- opening night -- for the biggest intrigue. That’s when Michigan visits Utah to kick off the 2015 campaign.

In other words, that’s when Jim Harbaugh makes his return to college football in front of a crowd known for its fervor, especially at night. Utah wasn’t in the conference back when Harbaugh made a massive mark at Stanford, but the Utes did spank Michigan in the Big House last year. That means there’s recent history here to pour gasoline on this game’s fire. The Wolverines will be hungry for vengeance under their new head coach, while Utah is already champing at the bit for more after their resurgent 9-4 season.

Both of these teams will be looking to address significant question marks, and that only adds to the fascination factor of this game. That national perspective will likely focus on Harbaugh and how quickly he can bring the Michigan engine roaring back to life, but Utah is a compelling character in its own right. After playing a game of serious catchup to their new conference in recruiting and player development, the Utes featured a rugged, physical roster in 2014. They seriously competed in the chaotic Pac-12 South. Devontae Booker's return means that quarterback play may be the one critical variable Kyle Whittingham's team needs to make that next push, and this opener is a chance for Utah to begin their much-anticipated bid.

• Jennings: Oregon at Michigan State

C’mon, guys. Everyone loves a good rematch.

Michigan State gave Oregon a good fight last season but it wasn’t a consistent fight and Mr. Marcus Mariota did what he always (with a few exceptions) did and the Ducks rolled in the fourth quarter. But I think this season is going to be a little bit different.

You’ve got two teams that really don’t have that big of a test in Week 1. Oregon will face off against Eastern Washington (which, actually, could be a decent test) and Michigan State plays Western Michigan in its opener. Those aren’t exactly awesome measuring sticks for either team. But, lucky for football fans and the coaches, a great measuring test is right around the corner.

And what makes this such an interesting on-field matchup is that no one really knows what either team is going to look like. Sure, Oregon is going to have an up-tempo offense, but, how up tempo exactly now that Mariota is gone? And who exactly will be running that offense? And the Spartans will have their stout defense, as has become their trademark, but will it look exactly the same now that Pat Narduzzi -- MSU defensive coordinator of eight years -- is gone? And it’s not just Narduzzi that the Spartan Dawg defense loses. It’s Trae Waynes (who just ran the fastest 40 time for a CB at the NFL combine); it’s safeties Kurtis Drummond and Tony Lippett; it’s linebacker Taiwan Jones and defensive end Marcus Rush.

Two big returners for the Spartans are defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun (aka Bane) and quarterback Connor Cook. Personally, I can’t wait to see how Cook handles Pellum’s defensive schemes and pass rush and whether Scott Frost/Steve Greatwood can put together a QB/OL combo that will fare as well against Calhoun as did Mariota and his O-line last season.

Plus, there’s just something so great about a Big Ten-Pac-12 matchup. It’s old school Rose Bowl feelings and with the Rose Bowl not acting as a semifinal this season, we’re going to have another chance for an awesome, top-25 Big Ten-Pac-12 matchup at season’s end.

• Gemmell: Washington at Boise State

There’s simply no way to stress the importance of the Washington-Boise State season opener, other than to say this is a must-win game for the Huskies on so many, many different levels.

All new head coaches are generally given a honeymoon when they take over a new program. But when you’re the only coach to ever win the Bear Bryant Award twice, your honeymoon has all the romance and courtship of a shotgun wedding.

For years, Petersen was the great white buffalo of coaching. Teams with far greater tradition weren’t able to lure him away from Boise State. But Washington landed him. And in his first season the Huskies were an inconsistent 8-6, failing to beat a ranked team and losing to Oklahoma State in the Cactus Bowl.

I’m of the opinion Petersen will still work out to be a great hire ... given the proper time. That’s why his date at Boise State is so critical. Because anything but a win cuts into whatever goodwill remains from his initial hire. He made Boise State what it is today -- a hard-nosed program that, for one week, can compete with virtually any team in the country. We can debate whether the Broncos could sustain it in a Power 5 conference another time. That’s irrelevant. For one week, with lots of prep time, Boise State is dangerous, regardless of the venue. See: Bowl, Fiesta.

Petersen will be facing players he recruited, and then divorced. He’ll see coaches he groomed, and then left. And they’d love nothing more than to blast Petersen and his new team, followed by a “sorry, not sorry.”

A win sets up Washington for a likely 3-0 start heading into conference play -- though Utah State is no gimme with Chuckie Keeton back for a 17th season. A loss, however, discourages a fan base that was hoping to see improvements over the 2014 edition. And perhaps it raises unfair questions about whether Petersen is the right guy.

You could probably argue that others are “the best.” But for a team at a crossroads like the Huskies are, this one is by far the most intriguing.