The Biggest Rematches of the 2026 College Football Season
It's not too early to begin circling games, getting with your friends and family and begging them not to schedule weddings or vacations around certain football-season dates.
I'll tell you this right now: Mid-September is no good to be away from your television. And, well, if you have plans for November 7, cancel them. Now. You don't even need to read this to do that. Just go. Again, now.
From out-of-conference mega-tilts to playoff rematches to league grudge matches that will shape the college football universe in 2026, we're here for it all. This list is just scratching the surface, too.
There are conference powerhouses from this past season, and there are those we think will battle for it later this year. There's nothing like a good rematch, and if it already has built-in hatred and some reciprocal fallout associated (looking at you, Oxford), well, all the better.
Here are the top rematches of the 2026 football season. Get your calendars ready!
Oklahoma at Michigan, September 12
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You may think this is starting benignly, but remember the run the Oklahoma Sooners went on to close out the 2025 season, ending in the College Football Playoff.
Throw in Kyle Whittingham inheriting quarterback Bryce Underwood and bringing with him reinforcements from Utah to Michigan, and you've got a strong, early-season start to the college football chaos.
Last year, the Sooners were right in the midst of John Mateer's pre-injury scorching start when they hosted the Wolverines and beat them 24-13 in Norman. In that game, OU's defense made Underwood look like a freshman who wasn't ready.
The sophomore signal-caller's development is going to be key not only to whether Michigan can compete in this game but in the Big Ten. The Sooners lost a lot of weapons on defense, but coach Brent Venables added plenty of pieces.
This will tell us a whole lot early on whether either of these teams are going to compete in their conferences and, most importantly, in the playoff race.
Ohio State at Texas, September 12
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These SEC-Big Ten battles are always fun, and these days with the conference up North holding massive bragging rights, the games are not only big for exposure and playoff aspirations but in the arena of national perception.
Neither Ohio State nor Texas will be worried about anything but getting a W when the Buckeyes travel to Austin in mid-September.
Last year, the major dents in the Longhorns' armour were exposed in Columbus when Arch Manning and Co. couldn't get anything going in a 14-7 loss. After Ohio State and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles parted ways, that game showed the nation that Matt Patricia's bunch hadn't missed a beat.
Despite piling up just 203 yards of offense with their own young quarterback (Julian Sayin) struggling, the defense carried the day.
At the time, Texas was ranked first but tumbled down the rankings and ultimately narrowly missed the playoffs. Getting a huge home win in '26 early in the season in the biggest national-exposure game out there would be a boon.
Both teams, as always, are loaded again. This is a game that will show which one is a true title contender and which one has work to do.
LSU at Ole Miss, September 19
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Oh, the drama.
As if the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers didn't hate each other enough already, the Bayou Bengals wedged in and stole Lane Kiffin from the 2025 playoff team, leaving the Rebels without their head coach during a semifinal run.
New coach Pete Golding did just fine, though, with Ole Miss falling just shy of the national championship game with a loss to Miami.
Now, Kiffin travels back to Oxford to face a jilted fanbase that loved him just months ago for resurrecting the program, only to turn his back on them at its high-water mark. Whether LSU meant to or not, it sabotaged the title run. SEC grudges run deep.
We haven't even gotten to all the talent that will be on display in '26 for the teams yet, either.
Kiffin's new-look LSU program soared through a transfer portal season where it signed quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, former Ole Miss edge Princewill Umanmielen and so many more.
Ole Miss returns star running back Kewan Lacy and (for now) elite sixth-year senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who successfully sought an additional year of eligibility through the courts.
This annual rivalry will have SEC title ramifications, but, boy, there's so much more this year, too.
Houston at Texas Tech, September 19
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You may not think Houston belongs on this list, and that's fine. The Cougars may not.
But if you've followed coach Willie Fritz's career at all, you know he's a major program-builder, and Year 3 is a target date where magical things begin to happen.
He's now in a major conference at a place with a loaded recruiting base and just signed the No. 1 player in the nation in quarterback Keisean Henderson. But '26 likely isn't Henderson's team. Fritz returns veteran signal-caller Conner Weigman for his senior year.
Somebody's got to beat the best to be the best in the Big 12, and the best is Texas Tech. The Red Raiders reloaded after losing a senior-laden roster with transfer-portal reinforcements like quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
BYU was the biggest contender last year, and the bet here is Houston takes that spot this season. This is the Red Raiders' biggest test (on paper) in what looks like a super-easy schedule, but this won't be a cakewalk.
Last year, TTU dominated with a 35-11 win. It'll be much closer this year, and Fritz will have Houston ready to play in an early-season game that will shape the Big 12 playoff picture.
Ohio State at Indiana, October 17
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By now, you know Indiana isn't just a one-year wonder. The Hoosiers rolled to an undefeated season and national championship in Curt Cignetti's second season, looking like a powerhouse.
Along the way, the Hoosiers posted a defensive performance for the ages in a classic 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. That game could have gone either way, though, and the Buckeyes will have just as much talent as always later this year.
Sure, the two teams ultimately could wind up playing for the league title again, but we are treated to watching them get together in the regular season on October 17 in Bloomington in what has turned into a raucous environment.
The Buckeyes lost offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and receiver Carnell Tate, but Jeremiah Smith, Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson and a host of defensive stars return. The Hoosiers have reinforcements, too.
What's going to be very interesting is how Cignetti re-crafts this team with TCU transfer Josh Hoover running things instead of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
The winner of this one may contend with Oregon for the Big Ten and the national title.
Georgia at Ole Miss, November 7
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One of the absolute best College Football Playoff games this past season was a colossal rematch between two teams that already played a classic during the season.
In one of those leave-it-all-out-there games, the Rebels outlasted Georgia 39-34 in the quarterfinals to head to the semifinals to play Miami. Though the run ended there, it was still quite a run for so much Kiffin-fueled turmoil ingested.
The teams met in the regular season, and the Bulldogs won that one 43-35 in a game that felt like whoever had the ball last won, and that's really the way both games were.
Now, we're all going to be treated to another matchup in 2026, and if Trinidad Chambliss wins the right for another year through the legal system, it's hard to envision either of these teams missing the playoffs again this year.
There's that much talent on both rosters, and even though this isn't necessarily a traditional SEC rival, there are plenty of storylines for this one. Golding and Kirby Smart have a great relationship, and this will be two defensive-minded coaches with offense-centric teams.
The possibilities of what this game could mean are tantalizing.
BYU at Utah, November 7
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In each of the past couple of years, the Big 12 has treated the nation with some surprise teams in Arizona State, Texas Tech and Houston.
But BYU and Utah have been right there, too. This is a rivalry game that always means something to the locals in the in-state tilt, and even though Houston is lurking, the winner of this one may wind up the odds-on favorite to play Texas Tech in the championship game.
Both teams are facing plenty of unknowns, though.
For the Cougars, it's all about where the playmakers are going to come from on offense around sophomore star quarterback Bear Bachmeier. BYU must have some players step up after key departures and disciplinary situations.
Utah, on the other hand, looks like the second-most talented team in the league after the Red Raiders, but long-time assistant Morgan Scalley steps into the head-coaching role after Kyle Whittingham stepped down and wound up at Michigan.
Stars like the two-quarterback monster of Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin will provide plenty of offensive firepower, but the Utes must replace departed stars along the offensive front.
Last year, this was a three-point game, and with the matchup being so late in the season, expect this season's slugfest to matter just as much.
Miami at Notre Dame, November 7
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After the LSU-Ole Miss game and possibly the Texas-Ohio State rematch, this late-November game in South Bend between Notre Dame and Miami may be the most anticipated of the season.
You just can't replicate more meaningful off-field drama than we got between the Irish and Hurricanes this year. Well, unless you're the Rebels and Tigers, that is.
To recap, Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 way back on August 31, yet Notre Dame was ahead of the 'Canes in the College Football Playoff standings all the way through the late season. Then, with both teams idle on Championship Week and the ACC possibly staring at no playoff teams, the committee leapfrogged Miami over Notre Dame.
Did Miami deserve to go? It's hard to say no considering the head-to-head win. In retrospect after the 'Canes title-game run, they certainly belonged. But Notre Dame didn't do anything to relinquish its spot, either.
They took their ball and went home, electing not to participate in the postseason.
Now, the two teams get together again with possible late-season playoff ramifications and plenty of bad blood. It's not exactly "Catholics vs. Convicts," but it's going to be fun, nonetheless.
Oregon at Ohio State, November 7
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Three years ago, it was Michigan. In 2024, Ohio State's roughshod run through the playoffs netted theirs. Last year, Indiana's undefeated run capped it.
All won national championships. All were Big Ten powerhouses.
The prediction here is Oregon makes it four different teams in a row from that conference in 2026. The Ducks are supremely loaded with potential No. 1 overall pick Dante Moore coming back at quarterback and the best roster on both sides of the ball in the nation.
Dan Lanning truly has an embarrassment of riches, but flowery words don't win championships. Wins over Ohio State in the 'Shoe do.
That's what's facing Lanning's team on November 7. In a season full of potential big-time pitfalls in Big Ten play, there's none looming larger than the game against the Buckeyes, who have been the aggressor in that conference for years. This OSU team is going to be loaded to the gills, too.
Oregon looks like it's on the cusp of breaking through to the top of college football, but it isn't easy. The Ducks won't sneak up on anybody in 2026 after back-to-back playoff appearances. This will be their biggest test of the season.
Texas at Texas A&M, November 27
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Last year, the Texas A&M Aggies were one of the two biggest surprises in the SEC, waltzing into the regular-season finale against hated rival Texas with a spotless 11-0 record.
They limped out of Austin with a 27-17 setback. It was a sign of futility to come for the Aggies, and afterward, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian's plea to put Texas in the playoffs because of how hot his team was fell on deaf ears.
The Aggies, of course, did make it, then laid an offensive egg in a 10-3 home loss to Miami.
For coach Mike Elko's Aggies, it was the end of a season but looked like the beginning of a potential prolific run. They've got so many returning stars on both sides of the ball, it would be a surprise not to see them competing for major things again.
Texas didn't live up to its preseason No. 1 ranking, but after all the recruiting wins and getting star portal additions like Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown and Cam Coleman, Arch Manning is surrounded by stardom.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, including ramifications.
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