Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
A lot of coaches, fans, and media have criticized the nine game conference schedule the SEC is moving to this season. One thing is for sure though: it will create some absolutely incredible slates of games each and every weekend. Here are our top five games in the first month of the 2026 season.
Honorable Mention
South Carolina at Alabama
Texas at Tennessee
Clemson at LSU
Missouri at Kansas
Ole Miss vs Louisville
Oklahoma at Michigan
Tennessee at Georgia Tech
The 2026 SEC football schedule is HERE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/uGwDs5yHrA
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 12, 2025
5. Florida at Auburn
Two first year coaches that were rumored to be at both schools this offseason. Two schools that brought quarterbacks from other schools along with their playcallers. Two teams that have historically played in one of the most underrated rivalries in the SEC against each other. Their last six games have all been won by 11 points or less and the lower, or unranked, team has won four of the last six in an upset.
This has been one of the more fun rivalries around the league for decades. Each team should be off to a 2-0 start and will face off in their first SEC game in Jordan-Hare. Besides LSU at Ole Miss, there isn’t a game that will have more juice that weekend in the league, so it should get a 2:30 start with national eyes on it.
October 20th, 2001: Auburn upsets #2 Florida pic.twitter.com/eSouHflOVE
— Back Then Football (@BackThenFB) October 20, 2025
4. Oklahoma at Georgia
It didn’t feel like Oklahoma has gotten nearly enough national attention early this offseason. People are finally catching on. These two programs are historical blue bloods that both went to the CFP a season ago and will be looking to get there again this season. Oklahoma has a tricky road game at Michigan, but both teams should be 3-0 coming into this game. It will be Oklahoma’s first trip to Athens since coming to the league, and it will also be just the second time these two teams have ever met. Their first meeting in the 2017 Rose Bowl was one of the greatest college football games of all-time. The winner will likely vault themselves into the driver’s seat of getting one of the two spots in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game in December.
Lorenzo Carter and this block in the Rose Bowl will forever live in my head rent free. #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/535Jn8wJyQ
— Top Tier Georgia (@TopTierUGA) March 15, 2026
3. Texas A&M at LSU
This has become one of the most underrated annual matchups in the league over the last two seasons. Last year’s contest in Death Valley saw Texas A&M blowout LSU on the field and empty out the stadium by the third quarter. Subsequently it led to Brian Kelly getting fired. The two will return to the same location this year capping off a massive first month of the season for LSU and Lane Kiffin. LSU will be coming off a huge emotional, physical, and mental test against Ole Miss. Texas A&M will likely be 3-0 after hosting Missouri State, Arizona State, and Kentucky. Which team can get through September unscathed?
Texas A&M walked into Death Valley and made a statement pic.twitter.com/iyQWbCMwDf
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) October 26, 2025
2. Ohio State at Texas
Last year this game was hyped up all offseason and billed to be the game of the year. It was No. 1 versus No. 2 in Columbus for the first game of week one. We welcomed in the college football season while saying goodbye to Lee Corso.
It was a dud, and a massive dud at that. This year they’ll leave Columbus and head to the forty acres in Austin for another top five matchup between two elite teams that should absolutely be in the College Football Playoff this season. The top two wide receivers in America facing off with two of the best quarterbacks and a uniform/logo matchup for the ages.
1. LSU at Ole Miss
It goes without saying this is the game of the year. It’s hard to think of a game that has ever had this much offseason juice as Ole Miss-LSU this year. It feels like 2008 LSU-Alabama when Nick Saban returned to Baton Rouge turned up to a thousand. This will be the game of the year, and after the offseason back and forth, the intensity in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be insane. The football teams will be pretty good too. Two top ten teams facing off in what has been an instant classic over the last several years each time these two meet. Can’t wait.
Oh, college football. Pregame interactions between Ole Miss students and @LSUfootball #LSU pic.twitter.com/3trlcOkaEw
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) September 27, 2025
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