Ohio State's playoff odds increased over the weekend. They dominated Ball State 56-3, while some of their tougher opponents didn't look as good. Oregon was in a dogfight with Boise State, although that could be as much of a statement about the Broncos as it is about the Ducks.
Of course, everyone knows what happened in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That game is still two and a half months away, but it looks much easier for the Buckeyes in the playoff race. This week, Ohio State and Texas take center stage on Saturday night, but a lot of games will have an impact on the playoff race.
(23) Missouri vs Kansas
The Border War is back again for the second year in a row. This time, the old Big 12 rivalry is taking place at David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. Missouri tends to win these games when they are the better team. Their issue has been breaking through and beating the better teams in the SEC. Kansas has been a team that people have been forecasting to take a big step forward for a few years now. Maybe it'll happen this year when people least expect it.
(6) Oregon vs Oklahoma State
Oregon had to come back from a 10-point first-half deficit against Boise State at home in their opener. Before the season, I would've expected another non-conference test here in week two at Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys brought in North Texas head coach Eric Morris to replace Mike Gundy, and he brought a lot of players with him from a team that made it to the American Conference title game. Their offense, led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker, was the third-best offense in college football last season by yards per play.
In week one, Mestemaker and the Cowboys looked more like the previous versions of Oklahoma State, as their FBS losing streak reached 21 games in a loss at rival Tulsa. Maybe they'll bounce back and give the Ducks a game, or maybe it'll look similar to last year's matchup in Eugene, which ended up with Oregon dropping 70 points on them.
(11) Oklahoma vs Michigan
The Big Ten-SEC undercard features Oklahoma and Michigan before the main event in Austin on Saturday night. Based on what we saw last weekend, this should be a dominant win for the Sooners. Based on the comments from Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham, Bryce Underwood might not even finish this game as quarterback of the Wolverines.
This is an extremely important game for Oklahoma, as they have four top 10 opponents in SEC play. Michigan would probably feel good with just a competitive game. They looked like a team that isn't going to make a bowl game against Western Michigan. If they can compete with the Sooners, it might give them some positive momentum going into Big Ten play.
(12) Alabama vs Kentucky
This will be an interesting early-season SEC matchup. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has failed to live up to the standard in Tuscaloosa in his first two seasons. Alabama has the talent to have a big season in 2026 and got off to a strong start with a dominating victory over East Carolina.
Kentucky looks a lot different than it has in recent years. Mark Stoops is out after 13 seasons as head coach of the Wildcats, and people are high on former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. In the transfer portal era, you can turn a program around quickly, and Kentucky may have a chance to make noise in the SEC this season. This game will tell us a lot about how the SEC will play out for the rest of the season.
Arizona vs (15) BYU
BYU has big expectations in the Big 12, as they are seen as a clear top 2 team in the conference alongside Texas Tech. All other teams in the Big 12 are looking for a chance to break up that pairing, steal a spot in the conference title game, and have a chance to get to the playoff.
Noah Fifita is back at Arizona for his fourth year starting, and the Wildcats have as good a chance as anyone to break into that top 2. They have BYU and Texas Tech on their schedule and could have the experience to run their Big 12 schedule. If they can win in Provo, watch out.
(18) Tennessee vs Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech's opener ended in tragic fashion for the Yellow Jackets as they had a potential game-winning field goal blocked to lose to Colorado. More concerning than just the loss was the way the offense looked under Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza.
They stagnated throughout the game when they had chances to put it away. That would be a recipe for disaster against a Tennessee team that always puts up big numbers under Josh Heupel. I expect the Volunteers to roll and find themselves high in the rankings when they get into the meat of their SEC schedule.
(1) Ohio State vs (4) Texas
This is the biggest non-conference game of the 2026 college football season. Two teams that faced off in the College Football Playoff semifinals two years ago are on track to do so again by the AP Poll rankings. The beauty of the 12-team playoff is that the loser of this game does not have their season ruined, but this is still a massive game for playoff qualification.
Ohio State and Texas have some of the hardest schedules in the country among the top contenders. If Ohio State loses to Texas, they will need to beat at least three of Iowa, Indiana, USC, and Oregon. If Texas loses to Ohio State, they will have to beat at least four, probably five, of Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M. The winner of this game is ahead of the curve, while the loser will face ramped-up pressure early in the season.
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