The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast - 10 Games that will shape the 2026 College Football Season

Episode Date: June 29, 2026

Fox Sports’ lead College Football analyst Joel Klatt reveals the 10 games that will shape the 2026 College Football Season. From huge early season Big Ten-SEC matchups between Michigan and Oklahoma ...and Ohio State at Texas to the return of Lane Kiffin to Oxford, he breaks down which games will have the biggest impact on the sport in 2026. Klatt explains why a cross-country trip could determine if USC is ready to make a Playoff push and why a rematch of the Big Ten Championship Game gives Indiana a huge opportunity to assert themselves over the Buckeyes. Miami’s trip to South Bend offers the Fighting Irish a chance to avenge the loss that kept them out of last year’s Playoff and “The Game” between Ohio State and Michigan will have a new coach looking to put his stamp on the rivalry. Get 50% off your first Factor box + Free Breakfast for 1 Year → https://factor-partner.com/49G0oNX Chapters 🏈 0:00-1:24 10 games that will shape the 2026 season   1:25-5:04 Oklahoma vs. Michigan  5:05-8:35 Ohio State vs. Texas 8:36-11:21 LSU vs. Ole Miss 11:22-15:01 USC vs. Penn State 15:02-16:34 Texas vs. Oklahoma  16:35-20:03 Georgia vs. Alabama  20:04-22:18 Ohio State vs. Indiana  22:19-25:00 Miami vs. Notre Dame  25:01-26:36 Texas vs. Texas A&M 26:37-29:07 Michigan vs. Ohio State  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The 2026 Chevrolet Tracks is the stylish SUV for those on the move. And with the standard Chevy safety assist package, you have the backup to handle every turn with confidence. The 2026 tracks, start your build at Chevrolet.ca. This is going to be 10 games that are going to shape the season in 26, Lane going back to Oxford. This one's going to be incredible. I do think that this is a program that's not going to have as good of a football team as they had a year ago. You are judged based on this game.
Starting point is 00:00:32 If you miss the playoffs as the Ohio State Buckeyes, life is not going to be good. And you're invited to a wedding on October 10th. Don't go. That's just anti-American. Hey, welcome into the program. This is the Joel Clad show. I'm Joel Clad. This show is brought to you by Graduate by Hilton.
Starting point is 00:00:52 We thank them for their support as we roll on in the offseason. Today's episode is one that I'm very excited for. I gave it to you last year as well. This is going to be 10 games that are going to shape the season in 2026. Remember, these aren't just. the biggest games. These are the games that are going to shape the year. I'm going to go in chronological order. And by the way, as I went through this exercise, I'm going through this exercise, you can get to 30, 35 games real quick. There are some monster games. There's some
Starting point is 00:01:16 monster weekends in college football. Get ready. I think it could be a phenomenal year. I really do. As parity has increased and we've got more quality teams around the country, as talent has kind of, I would say, dispersed around the country. I think we're going to have a tremendous year of college football. And for me, the 10 games that shape the season, shape the season, again, that's an important term, starts in week two. And we got two monsters, obviously. I think you guys know where I'm going to go with this one. Let's start September 12th week to Oklahoma at Michigan. This will be a Fox game. Gus Jenny and I will be there in Ann Arbor as Kyle Whittingham gets his first crack at a monster game as the coach of the Michigan Wolverines. Obviously, this is a rematch of last
Starting point is 00:02:00 year's game in Norman. And that's the game that I thought Venables, Mateer, maybe more specifically, kind of announced himself to the country as a Heisman contender. OU was a legitimate playoff contender after that win at home over Michigan, even if they had a true freshman quarterback in that one. That was a big statement win. And I think a win in this game for either of these programs would do the exact same thing that it did for Oklahoma a year ago. So that's why this is one of the games that will shape the year. This is the first big game for Kyle Whittingham. like I said, and it's going to be an indication of whether Michigan's going to be back in
Starting point is 00:02:34 playoff form. Are they going to compete for a Big Ten title? We're going to find out really quickly week two on September 12th. Now, if you look at the rest of the schedule for each of these teams, this game becomes even more important. There's the obvious reasons, right? It's a Big Ten SEC Showdown. We talk about these two conferences all the time. It's Michigan. It's Oklahoma. The expectations are sky high. There's no doubt. Both of these programs want to raise their level this year to the upper echelon of these conferences. Oh, you wants to be an upper crust SEC title contender. Michigan would like to do the same in the Big Ten.
Starting point is 00:03:10 This game is obviously a monster game in that direction, even if it's not directly tied to the standings of each conference. It's also the individuals in this game, Mateer. What does he look like? Now, with an offseason to get healthy, after the hand injury, he was not the same. And we knew that. he was not the same and that was a defensive lead team. What does the offense look like for Oklahoma? I think that's going to be a question. We'll find out week two in Ann Arbor.
Starting point is 00:03:39 Same question for Michigan. What is the marriage going to look like? What is the blueprint? What is the recipe? What do we get out of the Jason Beck, Bryce Underwood marriage? Now, this is something I've discussed at length during the course of the off season. I discussed it in my post-spring top 25. I discussed it in my biggest questions surrounding the top 12. leading into the offseason. All of those episodes back there on YouTube, they're in the catalog. Go subscribe to the channel. You can watch those episodes and you get all your offseason fix. But that question is going to be answered that day. I can't wait for that one. Is Bryce Underward going to turn into a Devin-Dampier-style runner? I do think it's going to be a jump. I do think that he's going to be a threat, more of a threat in the run game and not just
Starting point is 00:04:22 the scramble game. They really tried to keep him in the pocket at times last year. And to be honest with you, I thought to their detriment. When he was out and elusive, they were at their best. I believe that that's what Jason Beck is going to do with him in this offense. They should be able to run the football really well. This year, at least in my estimation, I can't wait to see Savian Hyder, the freshman rave reviews about him. We know what beating Michigan did for Oklahoma a year ago, and it sent them, it gave them a springboard into a year in which they dealt with a really difficult conference schedule and they were able to still make the playoff. Both of these teams have very different, difficult conference schedules. Is this the game
Starting point is 00:05:03 that springboards them through that schedule and potentially into the playoff? I can't wait. And by the way, all the undertones of the Big Ten SEC, that's dripping there as it always is. Obviously, it was last year and it will be again this year. Now, my next game on the 10 games that will shape the season, we stay in week two because we know there's a another monster, Big Ten SEC Showdown, and it's when Texas hosts Ohio State. That's going to be an absolute monster. Rematch of last year's game, just like the last one I talked about. Ryan Day and Steve Sarkesian know exactly how important that game was to their teams
Starting point is 00:05:40 and their programs a year ago. Look at what Ohio State was able to do. They had eight new starters on defense. They generated a ton of confidence, a ton of confidence in their brand new quarterback, Julian saying, in their new defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, based on what they were able to do and how they controlled the game against Texas at home early last year. That type of opportunity is afforded either of these programs. Now, you're going to have experience, guys.
Starting point is 00:06:06 This is not Arch and his first time as a real starter. This is not Julian Sane and his first time as a real starter. Now you've got incumbent quarterbacks. There's loads of expectations. These two teams are going to start in the top five. There's no doubt. I think they are, or at least close to it. We know last year that losing this game sent Texas on a bit of a tailspin,
Starting point is 00:06:27 and they were fighting upstream the rest of the season against a very difficult schedule in order to get themselves into a position to go to the college football playoff. They were not able to do so. I cannot wait for this game. I think it's going to be a phenomenal game. I really do. I think the environment's going to be crazy. And then you start looking ahead at their schedules.
Starting point is 00:06:47 And here's where it gets even more important. The loser of this game is behind the eight ball. Very similar to how Texas was behind the eight ball a year ago. Look at these schedules that they have remaining. Ohio State, remaining big games on the schedule after traveling to Texas. It's going to be hot. It's going to be tough. They've got to go on the road to Iowa, Indiana, and USC in their schedule next year.
Starting point is 00:07:15 And they've got home games against Oregon and Michigan. That's not easy. They face each of the two teams. that I would say are the other two best teams in the conference, Indiana and Oregon. They've got to go to USC. And we've seen really Indiana is the only team that has gone out west from the East Coast of the Big Ten and had success. They beat Oregon last year on the road. That was a monumental win.
Starting point is 00:07:39 But we've seen other teams go out there and struggle. Okay. And Ohio State's going to have to go to a very difficult place to play. If you actually look at USC's record at home, they're really good. So again, if you lose that, this game, all of a sudden, the rest of that schedule looks daunting. Same can be said for Texas. Check this out.
Starting point is 00:07:57 Texas is remaining big games. They've got road games at Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M. Not one to finish out the year. They've got home games against Florida and Ole Miss. Not going to be easy there. And obviously, the neutral, the big one in Red River against Oklahoma. So a loss in this game, each of these teams are going to be fighting uphill. And you're talking about major brands that do not expect to miss.
Starting point is 00:08:21 the playoffs. So that's why this game is going to be a huge game as far as what this season is going to look like, the shape of this season, how we're going to talk about these conferences, the power of college football. We've got the last three national champions out of the big 10. You got all the draft picks from the SEC. That tug of war in terms of narrative, what's the tougher conference is ultimately how the selection committee is going to land on some of those teams at the back end of the college football playoff. So monumental games there are those first two. All right, now we finally move on in the schedule. Week three. By the way, these are chronological order. I'm talking about the 10 games that are going to shape the
Starting point is 00:08:57 2026 college football season. Week three, September 19th, LSU at Ole Miss. I couldn't resist. I could not resist. Lane going back to Oxford. I mean, let's go. This one's going to be incredible. I don't like, oh my goodness. There's not enough security on the planet for Lane as he's going to go back into Oxford. The way that he left that team in the playoff, which was wild. Again, I just think about what happened last year. That was wild only in college football, only in college football, something like that would happen.
Starting point is 00:09:36 That was so crazy. This is going to be an insane atmosphere, obviously, but I think it's also going to have real implications in the SEC because these are two teams I would categorize as the teams that are going to be fighting for those at large spots. I don't expect either of these teams to win the SEC. I think that would be reserved for my two favorites in that conference, which would be Georgia and Texas. Now, it doesn't mean these two teams aren't going to be very good,
Starting point is 00:09:59 and I think they will be very good. Obviously, all the transfers and the questions around the transfers, jelling and how Lane's going to do with that, he had a lot of success doing this exact thing at Ole Miss. So at least history would tell us or suggest that Lane's going to be able to be successful in that vein this year at LSU. Trinidad Chambliss back. Key 1 Lacey back at Ole Miss.
Starting point is 00:10:22 That's a team that gained a lot of confidence under Pete Golding and that run to the national semi-final. These two teams are going to be trying to be inside of the top four spots in the SEC. They're going to be battling for those at-large spots in the 12-team playoff. I think they each have tricky Septembers, which could end their playoff hopes quickly. Check this out. The opening stretch for Pete Golding and Lane Kiffin is going to be Monster. Monster. LSU big games in September. Clemson at Ole Miss, Texas A&M.
Starting point is 00:10:52 What happens if LSU has two losses in that stretch? I mean, geez, you thought, you know, there was a lot of pressure on Lane Kiffin before the year. Then the pressure will go through the roof. How about Ole Miss? Big games in September. They got Louisville and Nashville. Jeff Brom's a heck of a coach. And Louisville, they beat Miami on the road last year. They've got LSU and they've got at Florida. They've got to go to the swamp. So each of these teams which have real playoff hopes, and I think potential, that could be dashed. And this game goes a long way in that. So a huge game as far as the shape of the season goes. And then obviously all the exterior and everything that we're going to
Starting point is 00:11:33 get surrounding that game is going to be epic. So that's my third game. We move on. Week six, I go all the way to week six, October 10th. I'm going to land on a sneaky game. and it's similar to that LSU Ole Miss game, not in the implications, or excuse me, I should say not in the surrounding narrative, although it's still pretty good, but certainly in the implication of these teams trying to level into that top four,
Starting point is 00:11:57 potentially in the SEC, or in this case, the Big Ten, to grab one of those at large spots. And this one is a sneaky game that's going to be really good. USC at Penn State. This one's going to be fantastic. Week 6, October 10th. This is the last of a three,
Starting point is 00:12:14 game critical stretch for USC. They're going to play Oregon and Washington. Both of those games are at home. Then they've got to travel across country and go to Beaver Stadium and they face Matt Campbell and his Nittany Lions. So the question then is can USC somehow in that stretch of three go two and one? If you go two and one, you set up, I think the season for matchups late in the year against Ohio State and Indiana where you've got a playoff berth on the line. I think Lane, or excuse me, Lincoln in this case is very confident about his team. I am bullish on USC. I think they're better at the line of scrimmage.
Starting point is 00:12:51 I talked at length about the questions surrounding them, which is the line of scrimmage. Go check out that episode. The biggest question surrounding the top 12 teams in my post-spring top 25, I talk at length about USC. And what they need, in particular, I get very granular about what their defensive line needs to do
Starting point is 00:13:08 and what their offensive line needs to do. So go check out that episode, subscribe to the channel when you're there. Meanwhile, Penn State, their schedule's super manageable this year. If you talk about the schedule jackpot in the SEC or the Big Ten, I would say the schedule jackpot was hit by Penn State in the Big Ten. And on the SEC side, it's really Georgia and Bama. They're the ones that get a bit of a reprieve as far as the schedule goes
Starting point is 00:13:32 in the SEC's first version of a nine conference game schedule. So year one from Matt Campbell, I think they've got a real shot at 10 wins. Even if I don't know, listen, I don't know if they're, team is going to be great, but their schedule is great. Their schedule is great. And this becomes a monumental game at home to try to protect Beaver Stadium for Matt Campbell in his first year. Penn State really should be 5 and 0 going into this game. Penn State has to navigate two back-to-backs. So they're going to have USC at home. Then they've got to travel to Michigan the next week. And then in October, they're going to have at Washington and then a sneaky home game
Starting point is 00:14:10 against Minnesota. And as we all know, like, those are the type of games that it's just difficult. It's just difficult. You travel all the way to the West Coast, then you come back home and all of a sudden you've got PJ Fleck in there and they're running the football and it's a tight game. That's a classic kind of trap moment for Penn State. But that USC one is big, is big. If they beat USC, their floor becomes 10 wins. That's a 10-win team if they beat USC. If they don't, I think the floor becomes eight. You know, then do you beat Michigan? Can you beat Washington on the road?
Starting point is 00:14:47 Do you beat Minnesota? The floor becomes eight, probably likely to win nine games. At nine and three with their schedule, I don't think they're going to get the benefit of the doubt, and they probably won't go to the college football playoff. But if they beat USC and their floor is 10, and they go 10 and two, even with a weaker schedule in conference, I do think they would get the benefit of the doubt out of that conference
Starting point is 00:15:06 and go to the college football playoff. Whoever wins that game is going to set themselves, up for a real shot down the stretch. So that's why this is one of the 10 games that are going to shape the season. This episode is brought to you by L'Oreal Group. Beauty is a powerful force that moves us. That's why L'Oreal Group has built a business
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Starting point is 00:15:46 Let's stay in week six, October 10th, because obviously Red River is that day. So Texas, Oklahoma is on this list. I think this one's going to be a huge game. Red River is always one of the best games in the sport. It's one of my favorite games in college football. And this one's going to be huge for SEC implications, college football playoff implications.
Starting point is 00:16:05 Once again, Oklahoma will have already played at Michigan and at Georgia. So are they going to have one loss, two losses, no losses at that point? What if they have two losses? Can you imagine if they go to Ann Arbor and lose and then go to Athens and lose the pressure that will be on Brent Venables and these Sooners, when they go to Dallas to face Texas? I mean, massive, massive. And then they're behind the eight ball and they have to win that game, have to win that game.
Starting point is 00:16:34 Texas will have already played Ohio State and at Tennessee before Red River. imagine if they stub their toe at home against Ohio State and somehow lose to a young quarterback, getting his legs freshly minted in college football, whoever that's going to be. What if they have two losses? And now everyone's on Steve Sarkeesian's case. I mean, there's a scenario where one or both of these teams have two losses. So again, this game is, it's always great. I think this year it could have even more implications.
Starting point is 00:17:08 And like I said, there is a small chance based on what these two teams have before this game, that their season could be on the line when we get to October 10th. Also on week 6, October 10th, that's a huge weekend. Georgia goes to Alabama. So this one is fairly obvious because check this out. When Kalin DeBore hosts Kirby Smart here, you got to think about the last 12 SEC championship games. Either Georgia or Alabama have been in every single one of them.
Starting point is 00:17:46 And either Georgia or Alabama has won 11 of the last 12. The only SEC team to win an SEC title not named Georgia or Alabama as LSU with Joe Burrow. That's wild. Wild. And so obviously SEC dominance is on the line. These two teams split their two meetings last year. Alabama won in Athens. That was a huge win for them, obviously. Then Georgia won the SEC championship game and thoroughly dominated that game. Kirby's smart. Everyone says,
Starting point is 00:18:18 oh, he's got a Nick Saban problem. And then it was, well, shoot, maybe now he's just got an Alabama problem because he lost a couple to Kalin DeBore. Now he's got an opportunity to write the ship. This one, I think, would go a long way for Georgia with their remaining schedule and putting them right at the top of the SEC, right back in Atlanta, and right. back in the college football playoff. The winner is going to be in the driver's seat, I think. And again, you look at these two schedules, and they're not terrible. They're not terrible. Alabama's four hardest games, I think, are all right in a row, right in the middle of the schedule, and it starts with this Georgia game.
Starting point is 00:18:53 So they need to get on the front foot here. If they're able to beat Georgia, then they go to Tennessee, they host Texas A&M, and then they're at LSU in that five-week stretch. So they do have one off week during that five-week stretch, but that's a massive stretch for Alabama. Now, truth be told, I'm not down on Alabama, but I do think that this is a program that's not going to have as good of a football team
Starting point is 00:19:18 as they had a year ago. They're losing their most important player in Ty Simpson. I know their defense wasn't great and they're losing a few players off of that defense. Can they replenish and be better? There's questions surrounding that. They lost Jeremy Bernard. You know, can Ryan Coleman Williams
Starting point is 00:19:37 come back to the form that he showed us as a true freshman, he's going to need to. He's going to need to. Who are the wide receivers for Georgia? All of those questions I talked about in that questions episode of the top 12. So that's a big one, I think for obvious reasons. Georgia at Bama, that's week six. Again, October 10 is a monster game. If you scheduled a wedding on October 10th or if you're invited to a wedding on October 10th, don't go. Like, that's just, I don't know what to tell you. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, That's just anti-American to do that to your friends. If you did that to your friends and you're listening to this program, I failed. Just failed in so many regards. And if you are listening to this program, I got to tell you, all likelihood is that you wouldn't schedule a wedding October 10th, so you might be invited to a wedding. Politely decline.
Starting point is 00:20:30 Politely decline. Don't go and watch the games on your phone and be that guy. Politely decline. I don't care if it's your cousin. That cousin obviously doesn't love you and you don't have anything in common with that cousin. So don't go to that wedding. October 10th is a massive day you're going to want to be at home watching all of these games. Okay, October 17th, this is week 7.
Starting point is 00:20:53 Supremacy in the Big 10 on the line as Ohio State goes to Indiana. Now, October 17th is going to be another huge day. Don't go to a wedding on October 17th either. You've got Ohio State, Indiana. I'm going to talk about that in a second. But you've also got Penn State, Michigan. you've got Notre Dame, BYU, you've got Bama, Tennessee, and you've got Florida, Texas. So, I mean, huge.
Starting point is 00:21:14 Now, this specific matchup, the reason that this one is on the list and the others aren't is obvious reasons. Indiana can run the Big Ten. They beat Ohio State a year ago. They are the reigning national champions. They have not lost at home under Kurt Signetti. They are 15 and O. if Indiana beats Ohio State, all the sudden, the premier program in the Big Ten is Indiana at the moment, which is wild, which is wild. Now, obviously, I think you could say that coming into the year because, again, they are the reigning Big Ten and national champs.
Starting point is 00:21:51 But you do have a sense of history, whereas Ohio State really runs the conference. There's no doubt you've got to get through Ohio State. But if Indiana wins this game, all of a sudden, that's flipped. that is flipped and Indiana has put themselves on the mountaintop even more so than they did a year ago. I just think about this game in terms of in terms of that lens and I think it means it means everything in this conference. And you have what's gone on already on the schedule for Ohio State. Like I said, they've already played Texas at this point. They've gotten some tough games at this point. Chance for Ohio State to reassert themselves is the top team in the conference here. hand Kurt Signetti has first lost it home and remind everybody that,
Starting point is 00:22:35 hey, the Buckeyes, we are the preeminent program in the Big Ten. So again, lots going on here. The winner of this game almost assuredly is going to go to the Big Ten title game and they're going to have a chance to be the number one overall seed in the college football playoffs. So a huge game in terms of the shape of the season, I don't think anything is official. But, but, but. Just saying there's a good chance your boy is there. Week 10, November 7th.
Starting point is 00:23:06 This is the next game. Miami at Notre Dame. You bet you. Let's go. I can't wait for this one. November 7th is another monster day on the calendar. You've got Oregon, Ohio State, Bama, LSU, Georgia Ole Miss, BYU, Utah, Penn State, Washington, Michigan, Michigan State.
Starting point is 00:23:25 It's a loaded, loaded day. can't wait for this one. Don't go to a wedding on November 7th either. If you're invited to a full wedding, just don't go. Just don't go. All right. Excuse me. Miami at Notre Dame, obvious reasons. Notre Dame fans watched Miami, get that last playoff spot, jumped them in the last rankings. They went all the way to the championship game. There is some saltiness in South Bend. There's no doubt about that. Marcus Freeman, this is a program that believes that they can go and win a national title. But the same could be said for Miami and Mario Cristobal. So here we go with Notre Dame. They're going to have their quarterback back. They should have one of, if not the best
Starting point is 00:24:04 defense in the country. Leonard Moore is outstanding Thorpe Award candidate right off right off the bat. Notre Dame's not going to have many statement opportunities. And this is one of them. And this is why this game is going to be so important as it relates to the shape of the season. Because when you look at Notre Dame schedule, really three difficult games, I would say at BYU, this Miami game at home, and SMU later in the year in South Bend. Those are really the games that Notre Dame can make a statement, make a point, earn some credibility with the college football playoff selection committee. Listen, they didn't go last year as a 10 and 2.
Starting point is 00:24:41 They didn't go. And they are mad about it, obviously, obviously. So this becomes a monster game. Now, can Miami do everything they need to do regardless of the outcome in this game? Yes. because obviously they've got the ACC championship game backstopping them. And there's not much in the ACC. It's not a great conference.
Starting point is 00:24:59 It's not a deep conference. And that team absolutely should go to the ACC championship game. I know that they didn't a year ago. So you can't stub your toe. And in big games, what do we know about Miami is that they make big mistakes? Big mistakes. I talked about that in the questions episode of the top 12 post spring. If Miami plays clean, if Mensa is who we think he can be,
Starting point is 00:25:22 they've got all these five-star players that are replacing these talented players that were draft picks off the line of scrimmage. If these guys pan out, Miami is going to be right back in the top five, potentially winning the ACC and potentially making a deep run in the college football playoff. We find out everything we need to know about both of these teams, November 7th, week 10, when Miami goes to Notre Dame. Hey, Clats show fans, if you follow this show,
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Starting point is 00:27:07 That gets you 50% off your very first box. Plus, free breakfast for an entire year while your subscription remains active. Get ahead of the game. Use code clat and get after it. Week 13. So we go now all the way we got two more. We've gotten eight games down, two more games to shape the season. Now we get the last week of the season.
Starting point is 00:27:27 We're in Thanksgiving week. I'm going to start on November 27th. That's a Friday. Texas goes to Texas A&M. I mean, they don't like each other. This is such a good game. It's a great rivalry. Two of my top 10 teams in my post-spring rankings.
Starting point is 00:27:43 Mike Elko was 11 and O going into the Texas game a year ago. Texas got the big win. but they were kept out of the playoff. I think there's a real chance, a real chance that the winner of this game is going to go to the SEC championship game. And I think there's a real potential that it's a win and end game into the playoff based on the selection committee. If you look at the schedules, if you look at what these teams have returning quarterback elsewhere, they really should both be really solid teams. And if they can get to this point, we know A&M can play well early in the year.
Starting point is 00:28:17 Can they finish it off? Texas, can they bounce back? Remember, this was a team that was in the national semifinals, two straight years under Steve Sarkeesian. They missed the playoffs a year ago. A lot of people thought they were the number one team in the country to start. And then they got hot late. They started playing much better, in particular at quarterback late,
Starting point is 00:28:34 beat Texas A&M 2717. So that was a huge game. That was at home. Now they've got to go on the road and face A&M. I think that this game is going to be a monster game. Obviously, the environment's going to be crazy. And again, I really, I really, really believe that we're looking at the winner of this game going to the SEC championship
Starting point is 00:28:52 game and I think likely playing Georgia. Same weekend, November 28th, you cannot have a list of top 10 games that will shape the season without Michigan at Ohio State. We will be there again. It is absolutely my honor to call this game the game. Kyle Whittingham's first in his stint as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines and he's going to find out real quick what Ryan Day knows. all too well, which is you are judged based on this game, this game, Michigan at Ohio State. The question then becomes, where are we at from a record standpoint? Does Ohio State have to win to get into the Big Ten championship game? Have they taken care of business against Indiana and Oregon earlier in the year? What was the result against Texas? Are they fighting as a three-loss team,
Starting point is 00:29:45 potentially with a win and hopefully get in in the back end of the selection. A lot could be on the line for the Buckeyes for obvious reasons. If you miss the playoffs as the Ohio State Buckeyes, life is not going to be good. And this is not an easy schedule. Meanwhile, Michigan also not an easy schedule. They've got that game that I opened with against Oklahoma. They got some other tough games as well. Can they be in a position where if they beat Ohio State, they go to the college football
Starting point is 00:30:10 playoff? Ohio State dominated at the line of scrimmage for the first time in a long time last year. They snapped that four-game losing streak to Michigan. They beat them in Ann Arbor, 27 to 9. Dot in the eye right there on the two and a half yard line. If you did not see what I was just referencing, that's because you're not watching YouTube. You should.
Starting point is 00:30:28 You should go subscribe to the program. But Michigan, Ohio State, this is a game that always shapes the season. It shapes the legacies of these programs, and these programs are obviously two of the premier programs in the country. So there you have it. Those are the 10 games that will shape the season for 2026. If you have not subscribed, please go subscribe on YouTube, hit the notification button,
Starting point is 00:30:48 leave a comment down below. Did I miss a game? Did I miss something? BYU, Utah. That could be a game that, listen, like I said, there was 30, 35 games that I thought about putting on this list. I had to knock it down to 10. These are the 10 that I landed on.
Starting point is 00:31:01 If you're listening, by the way, wherever you get your podcast, rate and review us, please. That would be awesome. And then wherever you like to social media, all of this content will live in shorter form, wherever you like to social media, as long as you're following at Joel, We're going to have content the rest of the summer, get you ready for the 2026 college football season.
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