Big Ten: 5 September Games Shaping the College Football Playoff Picture

The Big Ten has released its television schedule  for the first few weeks of the 2026 season, giving us all just over three months to map out our channel-changing routine on our remote controls. As a college football fan in this day and age, you have to master the art of switching between channels and streaming services so you don't miss a moment of the action.

It's what our ancestors dreamed of, and we are the lucky few who were chosen by fate to live in what is truly the greatest time to be a human being.

OK, so maybe that's a bit hyperbolic. Forgive me, but even if it doesn't ultimately matter much (we already knew what games were being played when), the release of television schedules means we're that much closer to the season, and that news excites me.

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So much so that I've decided to rank the five Big Ten games that will be played before the end of September that will have the biggest impact on the College Football Playoff race.

5. Illinois at Ohio State

Saturday, Sept. 26

It's only the second meeting between these two since the 2018 season ( Ohio State won in Champaign 34-16 last year), which is a shame considering there's an awesome rivalry trophy on the line (The Illibuck) between them. Of course, it's also a rivalry that's long been dominated by Ohio State because, just in case you haven't paid attention to this sport for a long time, Ohio State has historically been a better football program than Illinois .

However, over the last two seasons (since the Big Ten expanded again), Illinois' 19 wins rank fifth in the conference, ahead of teams like Michigan and USC . This will be another tough test (more on the toughest later) for Ohio State in the opening month of the season. It could also prove to be a serious resume booster for Illinois should they pull off the upset.

4. Boise State at Oregon

Saturday, Sept. 5

It's not a long history between these schools, but it's been a feisty one. Oregon beat Boise State in a narrow 37-34 game on the blue turf during the 2024 season. It was Oregon's first-ever win against the Broncos, as Boise won the first three meetings. This rematch in Eugene will provide a solid resume opportunity for both programs.

If Oregon wants to reach the playoff again, odds are it won't be a win over Boise that puts the Ducks over the top, but the Broncos are expected to be one of the best Group of Six programs in the country this season. Which means it's also an enormous opportunity for the Broncos. If Boise pulls off an upset here, it gives them a tremendous advantage over their G6 brethren. Heck, even a competitive loss would be beneficial.

3. Oregon at USC

Saturday, Sept. 26

It's genuinely remarkable to think that we are in the 13th year of the College Football Playoff and USC is yet to qualify for the event a single time, while programs like Texas Tech , Tulane , SMU and James Madison have. Well, there's an aura of confidence emanating from Southern California this summer, and the Trojans will enter the 2026 season with serious expectations of finally getting there.

Winning this game at home against the Oregon team that took the crown of premier Pac-12 program from them before both joined the Big Ten would go a long way toward making it happen. Oregon is who USC wants to be right now, and they can't achieve that without beating the Ducks.

2. Oklahoma at Michigan

Saturday, Sept. 12

Things did not go well for the Wolverines on their trip south to Norman last year. The Wolverines were stymied 24-13 and finished the season 9-3. Had they beaten Oklahoma , they'd have been 10-2 and likely in the playoff as an at-large. Instead, it was the Sooners who finished 10-2 and made the College Football Playoff.

This year, the Wolverines have a brand-new coaching staff and hope for a second-year bump from Bryce Underwood (last year's game was his first road start). This is a Michigan program that won a national title three years ago and expects to be in the playoffs every year. It must win games like this one to get there.

1. Ohio State at Texas

Saturday, Sept. 12

Last year's affair between these two wasn't the most exciting of college football games. The Buckeyes won 14-7 in a defensive slugfest that, as the year progressed, proved to be a prediction of what was to come from both defenses all year long. The offenses, however, had much better days going forward.

This year's rematch in Austin will feature the returning Julian Sayin facing another Heisman favorite, Texas ' Arch Manning . It will also include two of the best wide receivers in the country, with Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman . Oh, and it will still include two very good defenses. There's a very real chance these are the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the major polls when the year begins, too.

So, yeah, it wasn't difficult to figure out which September game to put at No. 1 in this story.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-schedule-college-football-playoff-race-september/)._