FOX released three top-tier college football games on Monday, locking in a trio of fall matchups that will unquestionably shape the 2026 national championship race.
The loaded slate includes Oklahoma-Michigan, Michigan-Ohio State and the Big Ten Championship Game. I expect this group of games to feature ranked teams, a CFP semifinalist and a Heisman Trophy contender.
The Big Ten has ruled college football in recent years, producing the last three national champions. Once again, the conference is set to take center stage.
Here are my bold predictions from the three blockbuster games on FOX:
Sept. 12: Oklahoma at Michigan
Bold prediction: The outcome will tilt early-season perception in the Big Ten–SEC debate
At a time when the Big Ten’s grip on college football has never been stronger and the SEC is still sorting out what it means to be the sport’s second-best league, a Michigan win in one of the most highly anticipated non-conference games of 2026 could prove decisive for a conference where it’s supposed to “just mean more.”
Oklahoma has made more College Football Playoff appearances than Michigan, yet the Sooners have never won a postseason game, even when they earned the right to host one last December, falling to an SEC opponent (Alabama) and a team it had beaten on the road the season before.
Michigan, meanwhile, enters a new era under its third head coach in four years, trying to reinforce its identity as the program that first broke through among the Big Ten’s three consecutive national champions.
Still, Oklahoma has never lost to Michigan, having met twice, and the Sooners have historically fared well against Big Ten teams. No Big Ten program owns a winning record against Oklahoma, and head coach Brent Venables already has wins over Nebraska and Michigan from a year ago.
Given how the College Football Playoff selection committee increasingly weighs non-conference matchups between Power 4 programs, especially those from the sport’s premier conferences, the winner of this game could be the one that earns another shot at the CFP.
Nov. 28: Michigan at Ohio State
Bold prediction: Michigan-Ohio State will feature at least one Heisman finalist
The Game has featured at least one College Football Playoff participant in each of the last seven years, produced five of the last seven Big Ten champions, and included two of the last three national champions. It has become appointment viewing not just because of its history, but because of its direct impact on the national title race. I don’t expect that to change, even with Kyle Whittingham assuming the controls at Michigan.
With new offensive coordinators at both programs — Arthur Smith at Ohio State and Jason Beck at Michigan — there could be some schematic shifts on both sides. But there will be no drop-off in talent on the field. Each roster features at least one player with legitimate Heisman Trophy potential, and at least one future finalist will be on the field in this game.
Is this the year Ohio State accomplishes something it hasn’t done since 2014: win The Game, the Big Ten Championship, and the national title? That question will begin to take shape in earnest on Nov. 28.
Dec. 5: Big Ten Championship
Bold prediction: The Big Ten Championship will reveal a CFP semifinalist
The Big Ten champion has reached the College Football Playoff semifinals every year since 2019. Not even the SEC can say that. Whether it’s been Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, or Indiana, the league’s champion has routinely been among the sport’s final four teams, both in the eyes of the selection committee and on the field.
What remains to be seen this year is whether any team can unseat reigning champion Indiana.
